M is for Mischief: An A to Z of Naughty Children
By Linda Ashman; illustrated by Nancy Carpenter
Dutton Juvenile; $16.99
32pp.; ISBN-13: 978-0525475644

Review by Amy Brozio-Andrews

Linda Ashman's new book M is for Mischief: An A to Z of Naughty Children is devoted to teaching kids their ABCs with an eye for fun. Vaguely reminiscent of Edward Gorey's Gashlycrumb Tinies ("A is for Amy who fell down the stairs…"), the book is an alphabetical cautionary tale that is sure to elicit giggles and awe from young readers. Ashman's young characters aren't just misbehaving, they're truly awful.

From spreading jam on the seat of a chair before unsuspecting Mom sits down to being picky about playmates to getting snagged in quicksand after ignoring the warning about it, the kids in M is for Mischief will have young readers spellbound by their audacity and tickled by their wickedness.

Ashman's alliterative passages focus on one letter and one child, immediately playing up that child's unique "skills" while taking advantage of every opportunity to reinforce the new letter and its use and sound for young readers. Kids will enjoy the playful writing style and over the top antics of these naughty children. Ashman's writing, paired with Nancy Carpenter's artwork, plays up all that each kid does wrong, sometimes with just desserts.

M is for Mischief is humorous and slightly wacky yet fully believable. The book's incidents genuinely do drive home each letter's look and sound, making them familiar without becoming dull or repetitious.

Nancy Carpenter, whose work you may remember from 17 Things I'm Not Allowed To Do Anymore, returns with illustrations that are perfectly matched with the text. Her pictures are bright and energetic, sophisticated and yet still child-like.

M is for Mischief is full of lessons on how to behave without being heavy handed or too serious. Even the most disobedient and disrespectful kid is treated kindly by Ashman and Carpenter -- there is no meanness here, even if Doodling Daphne really does draw all over her daddy's face while he's sleeping or Fiendish Frankie flings a Frisbee, "knocking Fifi flat."

M is for Mischief: An A to Z of Naughty Children is a fun book for reading together.