Title: F is for French: A Quebec Alphabet (F Comme Français: Un Abécédaire Du Québec)
Author: Elaine Arsenault
Illustrator: Renne Benoit
Publisher: Sleeping Bear Press, 2013
Grade: Gr. 1-4
F is for French Book Summary
Founded in 1608, what city is one of the oldest in North America? Where and when was Canada’s first road built? What world-famous circus was the inspiration of Baie-Saint-Paul street performers? Discover the answers to these questions, along with other facts, in F is for French: A Quebec Alphabet. Readers young and old can romp the sandy beaches of Les Iles de la Madeleine, visit Montreal’s Space for Life (Canada’s largest natural science museum complex), brave the arctic cold in the Nunavik region, or sit back and enjoy the music at one of the many performances taking place at the Montreal International Jazz Festival. This richly illustrated alphabet book is bilingual. A poem and informative sidebar text for each letter appears in French with an English translation.
Thoughts About F is for French : A Quebec Alphabet
F is for French: A Quebec Alphabet (F Comme Français: Un Abécédaire Du Québec) is a bilingual children’s picture book. Each letter of the alphabet represents something that has to do with Quebec. The book could be read in two ways: just the main text, which is written in rhyming poetry, or with the further description and explanations. There is a lot of information about each topic if you choose to read all of it. As it is a bilingual book, each page has both French and English words.
I enjoyed reading this book. A bilingual book is a change from regular picture books. I think it’s a great way to write about a French-speaking province. I also really liked the detailed paintings on each page.
I think that F is for French: A Quebec Alphabet (F Comme Français: Un Abécédaire Du Québec) makes a good read aloud for a variety of ages because of the way it is set up. The artwork is engaging for any age and the flowing poetry on each page makes for a great read aloud. The detailed sections would appeal to older children. Very young children could learn about the alphabet as they listen.
Bilingual books aren’t something that I have seen very often. I really liked this unique alphabet representation of the province of Quebec.
This book is part of a larger series of books called Discover Canada Province by Province which uses different letters for different provinces and territories. For example, B is for Bluenose, P is for Puffin, and T is for Territories. They are a colourfully illustrated series that are a wonderful introduction to Canada’s landscapes and people. You can see the whole series on the publisher’s website: https://sleepingbearpress.com/series/293-discover-canada-province-by-province
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