Flannery Row

When Commander Ahab Flannery goes off to sea, he says goodbye to his 26 children in alphabetical order. (Everyone has a name, by the way, except for Ahab's ""missus.'') This book, told in rhyme, is slight. For older readers, there isn't much of a story, merely a listing of names. For younger readers, there's no strong concept here. Instead of having the letters connected to identifiable objects, the initial letters are color-coordinated to each child's dress, in an attempt to match names and children. But readers could easily miss this feature were it not noted on the flap copy. The art is appealing and lively, but as an ABC primer this doesn't work. (37)