Non Fiction/Picture Books - Alfie the Apostrophe

Alfie the Apostrophe by Moira Rose Donohue and Illustrated by JoAnn Adinolfi

One of my favorite things is to find a book that takes a school subject matter and turns it into something I wish I had discovered back when I really needed it the most, especially a topic I glossed over in my earlier days. Unfortunately, these types of books are generally found in the non-fiction section of the library. The bad thing about non-fiction books is they are not visited as often as they should be. And, we know the “cool” kids do not hang out there unless the subject matter is sports, animals, or dinosaurs. So, a book like Alfie is frequently overlooked. It would be a shame to miss out on watching Alfie and his friends try out for the annual punctuation mark talent show. Alfie is an apostrophe that is worried about many things, but primarily that he doesn’t do exciting things like the questions marks and exclamation points.

Teaching kids about punctuation can be fun at times, but having them read an entertaining book is a nice way to top off the moment. Or, in Alfie’s case taking a typical moment in growing up and turning it into a way to visualize how punctuation works. As Alfie discovers more about who he is and how he fits in, the reader subtle learns how each of the punctuation marks work. Donohue provides us with some witty text and relatable feelings as well as learning about how to use punctuation. The artwork is eye catching and definitely would appeal to kids. So, the next time you are looking for a funny book to share with your 5 year old and up, grab this one from the 400’s in the Dewey section of the library. It is too humorous to leave for just teaching moments.