Oops! Something Happened To All Of The Vowels
Publisher’s Description
The Alekizou is a mischievous creature. Find out what happens when he gobbles up the vowels from all the books in the library. Then help him fix the terrible mess using just your fingers! An inspirational literacy adventure that Dr. Seuss himself would enjoy.
Details
- Title: The ALEKIZOU and his terrible library plot!
- Author: Nancy Turgeon
- Illustrator: Patricia Raine
- Publisher: City of Light Publishing (April 2020) Criss Cross Applesauce is an imprint of City of Light Publishing
- Categories: Vowels, American Sign Language, Teamwork
- Hardcover: 38 pages
My Thoughts
The Alekizou is a rather odd-looking creature with a bump on his head. While that bump does incredible non-human things, this fellow seems to also have a human side.
The story, which is told in verse, is longer than most picture books. However, it shouldn’t really matter since it’s aimed at children old enough to have longer attention spans.
There once was a creature named Alekizou.
He was smaller than me but bigger than you.
Yes, just sort of “mid-lish” except that instead
of hair up on top was a lump on his head.
His lump was quite strange, for he had it trained
to forecast the weather and tell when it rained.
This lump could do ANYTHING…grow big or small!
And sometimes you’d swear it was not there at all.
You’d know when it worked as it turned slightly PINK.
(A sure-fire sign that he’d started to think.)
He’d trained it to help him in daring escapes,
because when he thought hard,
this lump would change shape.
Even though Alekizou’s fine feathered friend, the owl, tries to interest him in learning, he’s not interested. Alekizou is far more interested in fun and games. But that comes with a price. The poor creature can’t write, spell, count, or read.
Now here’s something interesting. When he spots people, both young and old, coming out of a building carrying armloads of books, he’s not happy. Not happy at all! We humans might say that he is a bit jealous and feeling somewhat lonely.
And so the library plot begins. Since he can’t read books and has no need for them he will destroy them. That way he won’t feel so lonely. Kids will want to play more and not spend so much time studying and reading.
That night he quietly makes his way to the library. He gobbles up all the vowels from the books. Why only vowels, you ask? Those are the letters that look like tasty beans and gumballs.
With no vowels in the words, all of the books are fairly worthless. But the bigger problem is the fact that all vowels have disappeared, not just the ones in the books. No one can communicate. A word might sound like “HLDW!” when someone tries to speak.
What to do? What to do? The Alekizou ends up using American Sign Language and enlisting the help of children. But does that mean everyone now has to communicate using sign language? Or is there a better solution?
My thanks to City of Light Publishing for a digital copy of this book. My thoughts are my own and posted voluntarily.
What Concerned Me
While this is a small concern, I didn’t like the face on Alekizou. He looked a little too scary.
What I Liked Most
This is such a fun story to introduce vowels, sign language, teamwork, and more.
It even shows the local library as a place that makes people happy! Now I ask, how can you go wrong with a book that promotes libraries?
About the Author
Nancy Turgeon’s vivid imagination started early–favorite dolls were named Dorbitis and Dorbano. She majored in Creative Writing at Ohio Wesleyan University, co-founding her own ad agency at age 27. Seeds for The Alekizou were sown by her second grade teacher who challenged the class to find words without any vowels. Now retired following a long, star-studded career in advertising, Turgeon continues to nurture her creative side. In addition to writing children’s books, she has her own puppet theater and more than 100 puppets!
