The Reading Warehouse

Newbery Medal winner Beverly Cleary's timeless picture book text comes to life in vibrant new illustrations by Ted Rand. Here is a classic ABC book that's guaranteed to please a whole new generation of readers.

Aha! Boo! Cock-a-doodle-doo! It's morning on the farm, and there are sights and sounds galore.

Donkeys are braying, pigs are grunting, cows are mooing--even the jays are jabbering! From clucks and cackles to rumbles and whoops, this rollicking alphabet book takes young readers on a barnyard romp that is chock-full of noisy words they will love to hear and say out loud.

Beverly Cleary's ABC book allows preschoolers to have their very first introduction to the charm and pleasure of the beloved author's words. And Ted Rand's warm paintings evoke the energy and spirit of life on a farm.

Beverly Cleary is one of America's most beloved authors. As a child, she struggled with reading and writing. But by third grade, after spending much time in her public library in Portland, Oregon, she found her skills had greatly improved. Before long, her school librarian was saying that she should write children's books when she grew up.

Instead she became a librarian. When a young boy asked her, "Where are the books about kids like us?" she remembered her teacher's encouragement and was inspired to write the books she'd longed to read but couldn't find when she was younger. She based her funny stories on her own neighborhood experiences and the sort of children she knew. And so, the Klickitat Street gang was born!

Mrs. Cleary's books have earned her many prestigious awards, including the American Library Association's Laura Ingalls Wilder Award, presented to her in recognition of her lasting contribution to children's literature. Dear Mr. Henshaw won the Newbery Medal, and Ramona Quimby, Age 8 and Ramona and Her Father have been named Newbery Honor Books. Her characters, including Beezus and Ramona Quimby, Henry Huggins, and Ralph, the motorcycle-riding mouse, have delighted children for generations.