Ox, House, Stick - The History of Our Alphabet

Ox, House, Stick - The History of Our Alphabet by Don Robb, illustrated by Anne Smith

Bold collage illustrations and clear prose trace the origins of our familiar letters. From the proto-Sinaitic peoples, through the Phoenicians, Greeks and Romans, this book follows the development of the Roman alphabet. Includes sidebar information on punctuation, writing materials, the technology of printing, and more. 

Book Details:

• Number of Pages: 48
• Book Size: 10-3/4" x 8-1/4"
• Book Type: Paperback
• Recommended Ages: 9 and up
• ISBN 10: 1570916101
• ISBN 13: 978-1570916106
• Published July 1, 2007

Awards:

• A Chicago Public Library Best of the Best Book
• Children's Book of the Month Club, Alternate Selection
• A Junior Library Guild Selection, Starred Review

Item Condition:

• This item is brand new and is in perfect condition. 

"Robb's picture-book survey offers a fascinating look at the Roman alphabet, from its ancient origins to today. The approach is concise but comprehensive. Opening pages explore how and why written language developed in the first place: "Spoken language doesn't let you keep a record of what was said, and it doesn't let you talk to people who are far away." Robb also covers how early civilizations moved from picture symbols to the concept of letters and the history of specific letters, with text insets addressing related topics, such as the first writing materials. The open layouts feature appealing, stylized graphics that ably reinforce the text, including a map that demonstrates the spread of written language around the Mediterranean. Best suited for kids who have a handle on language concepts such as consonants and vowels, this will find a home in both social studies and language-arts units. The appended resources include books for both children and adults". - Booklist "

"Ox," "house," and "stick" stood for A, B, and C in the first alphabet. In this nicely illustrated overview, Robb traces the history of each letter from its origin to its modern appearance in the Roman alphabet. He explains the birth of writing in pictogram form and the eventual transition to written symbols that stand for sounds. With complementary explanation, each letter is displayed in its Sinaitic, Phoenician, early Greek, classical Greek, and Roman incarnations. The author details the relationships among different letters and summarizes such topics as alphabetical order, pronunciation differences around the world, the Greek boustrophedon style, Roman spacing conventions, the beginnings of punctuation, writing surfaces, font styles, and the invention of the printing press. A closing chart summarizes the presumed source of each letter with its date of first use and probable meaning. Robb is careful to note that linguistic research is still being conducted and that the information presented contains "both things that are fairly certain and things that are still under investigation." Smith's whimsical paintings are a fitting companion to Robb's lighthearted text. This quality work fills a significant gap in children's information literature. It should find a home in all collections." - School Library Journal

Why We Love It

Learning the history of the alphabet makes learning about language more interesting! Children of all ages enjoy this book!