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CM . . .
. Volume XXIV Number 4. . . September 29, 2017
excerpt:
James Zintel has written a delightful alphabet book that includes place names in Saskatchewan. Each page has a humourous character in a colourful circle, with a sentence combining a character name beginning with the letter of the alphabet, an action with accompanying picture and a place name from Saskatchewan also beginning with the same letter. There is a map of Saskatchewan with the 26 places and the name from that page in a bigger font and marked with a star. The characters are delightful. Barb is a bear, and Zoe is a skunk. “Wally wears a watermelon in Weyburn” shows Wally as a rabbit in a Roughrider Jersey and a watermelon on his head. Zintel has captured the Saskatchewan spirit. The last few pages, “Get to Know Saskatchewan”, include the provincial flag, the official sport, flower, tree, animal, bird, and grass, as well as interesting facts. “Did you know” provides lists of famous people from Saskatchewan, Saskatchewan inventions, the population and the hottest and coldest days on record with their temperature and location. We enjoyed the humour, the illustrations, and the details of each letter. The illustrations were colourful and the focal point of the page. Including the map on each page reinforced the locations indicated by the letter. Saskatchewan A to Z would appeal to anyone who enjoys alphabet books and books about Saskatchewan. Teachers and parents would find it a great read-aloud choice. There could be much discussion and laughter with each page. It would also be a good choice for the Grade 4 Social Studies curriculum when they study Saskatchewan. Art and Social Studies projects could be developed from the content. Highly Recommended. Deborah Mervold is an educator from Shellbrook, SK, with experience as a high school English teacher and teacher-librarian. Presently she is involved with post-secondary education as a faculty trainer and program development consultant at Saskatchewan Polytechnic. Kenzi Gerein is a Grade 3 student in Saskatoon, SK.
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