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daniellesalwaysreading's review
4.0
Very funny and slightly hip. A good introduction to musk oxen, and a good alphabet book for the slightly jaded child.
shighley's review
4.0
Very funny and clever. I think many of the jokes will go over kids' heads, but it's such a nice twist on alphabet books. It would be great to share this and then have intermediate kids create their own. A couple of times I thought the letters were stretched a little bit, but it was a pretty quick run through 26 letters. I read this because a friend tweeted a picture of her son reading it on Christmas morning! The expressions are a hoot!
snowelf's review
4.0
How curious that two books with the exact same wacky theme should come out in the same year, but this book is strangely similar to [b:Z Is for Moose|12576704|Z Is for Moose|Kelly Bingham|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1349078804s/12576704.jpg|17587424], just replacing the moose with musk ox. I think they're both good, but the moose book probably gives for a better read aloud. This one felt longer, it's more "busy" and the musk ox is frankly quite a bit more cocky and obnoxious than the confused and out-of-place moose in [b:Z Is for Moose|12576704|Z Is for Moose|Kelly Bingham|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1349078804s/12576704.jpg|17587424]. It may also be a better fit for a slightly older crowd, that is kindergarten - first grade, while the moose book would be fine for preschoolers.
readingthroughtheages's review
4.0
Yes, it's an ABC book, but it's so much funnier than your typical alphabet concept book. I think this book is actually better with older primary/elementary kids because they would appreciate the humor in this book. Very similar to Z is for Moose, but maybe for a bit older audience.
daisycakesco's review
3.0
Okay, it started off as a funny concept, but got a bit long. And do we still refer to the Inuit people as "Eskimos"? I thought that term had fallen out of favor. The ideas seemed to run a bit short near the end, also.
ubalstecha's review
4.0
Another great alphabet book parody that has a musk ox try to make every letter in the alphabet about him. Funny and appealing to the reluctant reader.
leslie_d's review
3.0
Must every alphabet book begin with “a is for apple?” Probably not. But would you recommend “a is for musk ox?” Zebra questions the stretch, after expressing frustration over Musk Ox eating his apple, “That doesn’t make sense. Musk ox doesn’t start with A. It doesn’t even have A in it.” Musk Ox’s admits that he is tired of his fairly anonymous placement in the middle. and then he educates Zebra on how musk oxen can be filed under the letter A, and so it begins: in some form or another Musk Ox argues his relevance throughout the whole alphabet. And Zebra is there to huff or cover his eyes with his hooves, acquiescing under the sheer force of Musk Ox’s personality.
Some of the applications are a stretch, but there is always an energy and humor in the illustrations. It is equal parts educational and silly. And needless to say, if N were still small(er) we would have tried out our vocabulary and imagination on a Natalya- or Leslie-infused alphabet. I think the alterations of alphabets have already been done, e.g. a is for asphyxiation–which Zebra seems less willing for Musk Ox to experience by the end, except for that ending, when antagonisms are renewed.
entries I favored: I, O, & Q. and when Musk Ox claims that “Baby” is not as cute as musk oxen,” baby musk oxen are seriously one of the cutest babies on the planet!
I mentioned the energy in the illustrations, and the pages are just humming with activity (not a bedtime book, unless you need that last burst of energy). The characters are as over-the-top as the notions in the book; which means they are more exciting than ‘just too ridiculous.’ Zebra is cool looking. The exclamation points mimicking his hair and the striped shadow are genius. The tie is pretty funny, too. There is plenty to explore, in the details and the premise.
A is for musk ox inspires a lot of play, certainly some good and healthy old-fashioned rule breaking. You already love Seuss and Silverstein, you’ll want to pick this one up for a play date.
L (omphaloskepsis)
http://contemplatrix.wordpress.com/2013/11/14/a-is-for-musk-oxs-antics/
Some of the applications are a stretch, but there is always an energy and humor in the illustrations. It is equal parts educational and silly. And needless to say, if N were still small(er) we would have tried out our vocabulary and imagination on a Natalya- or Leslie-infused alphabet. I think the alterations of alphabets have already been done, e.g. a is for asphyxiation–which Zebra seems less willing for Musk Ox to experience by the end, except for that ending, when antagonisms are renewed.
entries I favored: I, O, & Q. and when Musk Ox claims that “Baby” is not as cute as musk oxen,” baby musk oxen are seriously one of the cutest babies on the planet!
I mentioned the energy in the illustrations, and the pages are just humming with activity (not a bedtime book, unless you need that last burst of energy). The characters are as over-the-top as the notions in the book; which means they are more exciting than ‘just too ridiculous.’ Zebra is cool looking. The exclamation points mimicking his hair and the striped shadow are genius. The tie is pretty funny, too. There is plenty to explore, in the details and the premise.
A is for musk ox inspires a lot of play, certainly some good and healthy old-fashioned rule breaking. You already love Seuss and Silverstein, you’ll want to pick this one up for a play date.
L (omphaloskepsis)
http://contemplatrix.wordpress.com/2013/11/14/a-is-for-musk-oxs-antics/
ghumpherys's review
5.0
Hayley wanted to read this to me the other night while I was washing dishes and it made me laugh out loud, so I figured it was worth a rating on Goodreads. I didn't really see the illustrations, but the text was a hoot! A great ABC book for older kids (and you'll learn a lot about musk oxen too!).