Lines, Squiggles, Letters, Words

PreS—Young Pedro wonders about the lines and squiggles that he sees on signs, billboards, and stores. What do they mean? He doesn't understand until he starts school, where he learns the letter A and suddenly sees the letter everywhere! The same happens with the letter D. Are all the books, signs, and packages being secretly painted with the letters Pedro studies? Nope! As his father says, "Through your letters you're starting to understand more of what you see." Soon Pedro recognizes the words all around him, finding joy in his ability to read. High contrast between shapes and colors in a slightly muted palette of mostly red, blue, green, black, and white illustrate this charming story, translated from Portuguese, about a child's excitement at learning to decipher the words that surround him. Blocky, expressionistic pictures capture the bustle of a city, while the use of horizontal and vertical lines encourages the concentration and close observation young ones need to master letters and numbers. The interplay between Pedro's newfound letter knowledge and his blossoming understanding of lines and squiggles around his city makes for a fun story that may encourage young readers to take notice of the letters in their lives.