A Catholic Alphabet Book: A-Z of Christian Terms

This book is an alphabet book with a phrase for each word. The content is heavily religious, with an emphasis on Catholic terms. A-W has 2 terms per letter while x,y,and z only have 1. Colorful images complement each word and phrase. For children just starting to learn the alphabet, you might start with reading the letters and words, skipping the phrases. Some of the phrases are complex, especially considering they are religious and thus tend to require more abstract thought. The phrases are only there to help initiate conversation and encourage the mentor (parent or other care-taker reading the book with the child) to expand on concepts as the child becomes more familiar with the words. Some of the words are more complex (ie. Immortal, Ordain, Trinity, Vocation, Yahweh) for both saying the word and explaining the word.

The author's intent with this book was to engage children at an early age in the Catholic words, traditions, and concepts. Many Christians will find the content acceptable, but the author has intentionally repeated that marriage is between a man and a women as an example of a Catholic teaching. Catholics incorporate wine during mass, so Grapes discuss the symbolism to the blood of Christ when turned into wine. A Nun is predominately found in the Catholic Church. Nuances such as these are throughout the book, emphasizing the Catholic terms and faith.

As your child grows and learns, it provides an opportunity to revisit the book again and again to review the words and phrases. This book does not teach the religious concepts per se, so some phrases are very simple (ie. King- "Jesus is the King of all." or Obey- "Children should Obey God and Obey their parents"). Some are more complex. The author's 2 year old daughter loves to look at the letters and pictures, but is not ready for the phrases. As she expands her vocabulary, she will continue to learn the words and phrases with further explanation from the reader as necessary.