An ABC of Democracy

by Nancy Shapiro, Paulina Morgan (Illustrator)

A is for Activism, B is for Ballots, C is for Country. An ABC of Democracy introduces complicated concepts surrounding politics and government to the youngest of children.

Everyone has the right to be treated fairly , no matter who they are, what they look like, or where they come from. From A to Z , simple explanations accompanied by engaging artwork teach children about the world we live in and how to navigate our way through it.

Each right-hand page includes a brightly decorated letter with the word it stands for and an encouraging slogan . On the left, a colorful illustration and bite-size text sum up the concept. Cheerful people from a range of backgrounds, ethnicities, and abilities lead the way through the alphabet. A follow-up to the best-selling An ABC of Equality , this beautiful book will teach the youngest of readers about liberty and justice for all .

Genres: Nonfiction, Picture Books, Childrens

52 pages, Board Book

Published February 1, 2022

Reviews

[Reading_ Tamishly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you, Quarto Publishing Group - Franco Lincoln Children's Books, for the advance reading copy.

I feel this picture book is perfect for the very beginners to be educated about some basic words when it comes to the introduction to what democracy means.

I find the words and their expressions totally relevant and quite apt for each term described.

The illustrations are perfect. And what the cover shows is what the content shadows.

An amazing one.

[Angie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story follows an alphabet approach where each page represents a different element of government and democracy for each letter. For example, suffrage, justice and voting. It is a perfect introduction to difficult terms related to government without being too complicated or challenging for young children to understand. I teach grade 3 and 4 and every time I go to teach about government I am met with confused faces. I think that though this book has a simple concept, it would still go over well with my students and give me an opportunity to support their understanding of these higher level concepts and vocabulary. I would recommend this book for teachers and families of children ages 5-10, Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to read and review this fabulous book!

[Catherine Craig (Angelic Light) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this book really interesting, and I learned some things that I did not already know. My daughter liked looking at the beautiful, bright images in the book, although she did not really understand what the book was about, as she is still a bit young for it. The book is all about democracy, using an alphabet structure to explain different concepts surrounding politics and government. For example, C is for Climate, P is for Politician, J is for Justice and H is for Human Rights. This is a fantastic book for children of any age, as they will enjoy the colourful images and the alphabet, but older children will be able to understand the writing more. Highly recommended!

Many thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love these books. They're a brilliant, fun, vibrant style. Like the others in the series, the book looks at one specific theme/ topic and then with the help of the alphabet helps children to understand what that theme really means through the use of specific vocabulary, The vocabulary isn't simplified but each term is expertly explained so that a young audience can grasp the meaning. The illustrations help to embed the meaning of the vocabulary that is being explained. I really liked the call out at the start of the book to write letters to leaders and protest in what you believe in.

Thank you #NetGalley and #QuartoKids for eARC

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of those children’s books that ought to be read over and over again. It succinctly depicts what democracy is. Yet even so the material is for the more mature child. Definitely one a parent and child need to read and discuss together. Perhaps even taking the child to town board meetings or something similar to see democracy in action. This topic is not an easy one to explain but this book is a great place to start.
I received a free copy from NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving my review.

[Katie · Rating 2 out of 5]

If you’re looking for a beginning introduction to democracy for children, I’d skip this one. If you’d like a board book about activism, this might be the right fit.

Grateful to the publisher and NetGalley for the chance to read this ahead of publication in exchange for an honest review.

[QNPoohBear · Rating 5 out of 5]

An ABC of Democracy (Volume 3)
This is a fat board book that should be made into a regular book and mandatory for all schools. It teaches civics on one page with a short simple sentence on the letter page. V is for Voting so Y is for Your Voice and Z is for citiZen which is a little awkward but the content is top notch. It explains everything a kid needs to know about rights in a democratic society. Heck most parents need to read this, especially the ones who try to silence voices with differing opinions and people who don't look or love like them.

The illustrations show a diverse array of people in all colors (including pink and purple), LGBTQ+ people, Muslims, the whole gamut of people who live on this planet. It's colorful enough for young children and the text is simple enough for younger kids but enough information for older kids as well.

A+++++

[Danielle Russell · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a wonderful way to start the teachings of democracy for young readers!

An ABC of Democracy is a great tool to introduce the importance of voting and standing up for what you believe in. The illustrations are nicely done, and include people of different races and ability. To some this may be a small thing, but focusing on inclusion is vital for children to see, and helps to ensure that they see themselves reflected.

Some of the words are a little advanced for someone who would be on an ABC reading level, but I don't think that deters from the importance of the book. It's an excellent way to start conversations, and the book does a great job at explaining words on a level a young reader can understand and process.


Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a free advanced copy of this title in exchange for an honest review.

[Belinda Knight · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great book with cute colorful illustrations that makes a great and enjoyable learning tool for children 5 and up. It will start them learning at an early age about things like democracy, freedom, human rights, the government, and much more. If you want to give your children a head start on their education this is a great way to make that happen. I highly recommend this 4 1/2 star read for both teachers and family libraries.

Thank you to Netgalley and Quarto Publishing Group for this Arc.
The review and opinions are solely my own

Happy Reading!

[joyce w. laudon · Rating 4 out of 5]

This cheerfully illustrated title will help young children to understand democracy and the rights that people enjoy. The author engages children with the text and by asking questions for discussion. A couple of letter examples are H is for human rights, J is for justice, and P is for politician. For adults who want to raise good citizens, this would be a welcome addition to the bookshelf.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions are my own.

[Nette · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nancy Shapiro did a great job in creating an ABC of Democracy, using terminology and defining these terminologies with easy to comprehend but age-appropriate to enlighten and create a spark in the children who read this book. It is educational, motivating, and I believe in having the importance of democracy taught at a young age will allow future generations to safeguard and make sure democracy is instilled in all aspects of the world that surrounds us.

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

An ABC of Democracy is a great introduction for early readers to understand some of the terms and practices involved in democracy. Ranging from Activism to citiZen this book covers basic rights and practices of democracy. The illustrations are wonderful and diverse throughout which makes learning more fun for the reader.

Special thanks to Netgalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

[Begad Farid · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is truly a quite impressive read. The idea of the book is to educate children on the concepts of democracy using the alphabet. This idea is not only great but a little risky as well. Shapiro's ability to break down complex concepts in an entertaining yet informative manner is remarkable. I would recommend this book to any parent.

[Kate Pendleton · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has a very simple concept, but its content is powerful. It merely lists off a word regarding democracy following the letters of the alphabet. However, this information is crucial for students beginning to learn about the government and all of the moving pieces that go with it. This story is able to teach important procedures in an age-appropriate manner.

[Peacegal · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is an introduction to the democratic process and would make nice supplemental material for a unit on voting/civics for the elementary school-age set. Yes, it's very idealistic--but perhaps this will help young people speak up for change when they see things aren't happening fairly.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic. Full of useful information presented in a fun way. The illustrations are great, and the book is engaging.

[OjoAusana · Rating 4 out of 5]

*received for free from netgalley for honest review* pretty good, think some of the word choices were odd but sometimes it's hard to find relative words i suppose. overall pretty cool kids book

[Steph · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great first book of democracy. Loads of gorgeous learning! You could make a lush display of the letters on each page too!

[The Silvan Reverie | Sarah Street · Rating 1 out of 5]

While I appreciate the aim of this book, I think there is a huge mismatch here in intended age range. In a board book format the intended age range is 3-6 year olds. I'm not sure how many 3 year olds are emailing letters to representatives or canvassing their neighbors.

Again, I like the idea of discussing democracy for preschoolers but the level of content in this book is better suited to upper elementary-aged kids. Terms like suffrage, politician, justice system, executive branch are too complex for 3 year olds. Kids this age need engaging narratives like Sofia Valdez, Future Prez to inspire them to affect change in their world, not encyclopedic information on what adults deems worthy.

***Note: I was given a review copy of this book via Quarto Kids. Opinions are my own.

[Theediscerning · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nowhere near as 'woke' as I feared, this primer for democracy, citizenship and fair representation etc is suitably colourful, has just the most unrepresentative spread of wheelchair users, blind people, and people with different ethnicities, hairdos and body shapes, and is therefore just as inclusive and all-encompassing as you could want. Successfully tying all those terms adults use every few years together in the young mind, this just gets the definitions across, as opposed to anything else the impressionable could probably have done without. No, I was grateful it left the pronoun mangling and everything else for later years, and still managed to suggest politics is an activity to be thought of by the young, and not a process for A N Other to engage in only.

[Christine · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this book - and have mixed feelings on it. On the one hand, it's a fun, colorful, informative ABCs book. On the other hand, there's a mix of oversimplification on some matters, and suggestions that aren't quite likely to be at an ABC-ers level. It's an interesting way to get the conversation started, but I feel like it's a lot for a child to take in, and I'm not sure it's going to be a kid favorite. (But I could be wrong. Maybe it'll spark interest in that one kid who has a brilliant mind for politics and government from a young age)

[Jenna Z · Rating 5 out of 5]

An ABC of Democracy is a fun, kid friendly look into government. It’s never to early to learn how your country is run and this colorful, appropriately educational book is a great way to start teaching your kids.

[Andréa]

Note: I accessed a digital review copy of this book through Edelweiss.