A Pioneer ABC

Linda Ludke is a children’s librarian at the London Public Library.

The daily life of a pioneer family is depicted from A to Z in this
enjoyable book. As young Zebediah explains, “A is for Abigail and
Anna, my two sisters. Even though they are awful, I’m making them an
alphabet book.” With a straightforward innocence, he describes topics
such as food (“E is for Eels that we catch in the river. Mama bakes
them in pies. Ugh!”), chores (“S is for Soap-making, spinning and
stumping—so much work for everyone”), and entertainment (“F is for
Fiddle. Papa plays by the flames of the fire”).

Mary Jane Gerber’s realistic oil paintings provide a glimpse into
bygone days. The scenes depict many different activities during the
changing seasons, including a log cabin raising, a fall harvest, and ice
fishing. Detailed borders feature other objects that start with the
highlighted letter and encourage close examination of the illustrations.


A preface includes the history of the United Empire Loyalists. A
glossary explains the meaning and significance of key words from each
page, including “hornbook,” “bandelore,” and “junket,”
making this title also very useful for history units. Recommended.