Q and U Call It Quits

An amusing and applicable story to enhance a reading lesson’s significance of letter pairs.

PreS-Gr 2--Conquering kingdoms, quilting for the queen, or simply barbequing, letters Q and U are seemingly inseparable. That is until U begins to feel Q's clinginess and wants to spend more time with her other letter buddies N and S. Q is devastated and lost without U and cannot find new letters to match with quite as easily. U grows frustrated with Q's continued attempts to monopolize her time and escapes to a quiet, secluded island to be alone. News travels quickly to other chummy letter buddies such as TH, SL, WR, and MI that Q and U have split up. Chaos ensues as the pairs become curious about their own independence and break up with their letter buddies. How can anyone enjoy cheese without CH or sleep without SL? Can Q and U quell this alphabet anarchy? This humorous and punny alphabet book highlighting letter blends features colorful and vibrant digitally rendered illustrations. Letter blends within the text are appropriately highlighted in red, making it easy to share examples with young readers. Wade's quirky story pairs well with the personified letters in Anne Marie Houppert's What About X? An Alphabet Adventure. VERDICT An entertaining recommendation for preschool and early elementary school teachers on a quest for alphabet-themed picture books about letter blending.--Emily Brush, Novi P.L., MI

"This witty text incorporates lots of pertinent examples with blends and digraphs highlighted in red. An amusing and applicable story." — Kirkus Reviews