Reading order
| # | Title | Published | Author | Buy on Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Z Was Zapped | 1987 | Chris Van Allsburg | Buy |
The Z Was Zapped, published in 1987, is Chris Van Allsburg’s take on the alphabet book. Subtitled “A Play in Twenty-Six Acts,” it presents each letter of the alphabet on a stage where something happens to it that starts with that letter. The illustrations are done in black and white, giving the book a moody, theatrical quality.
The format turns a standard learning tool into something more like a darkly funny performance. Each page shows only the aftermath of what happened to the letter, and readers turn the page to find out what the action was, adding a guessing game element to the reading experience.