M is for Mischief

Written by Linda Ashman, Illustrated by Nancy Carpenter

Dutton/Penguin, 2008.  978-0525475644.

Reviews & Honors

Cookie Magazine’s Top Ten Kid’s Books of 2008

Colorado Book Award for Children’s Literature

“Ashman’s poetic portraits are packed with lots of tasty assonance and alliteration.” —Starred Review, Publishers Weekly

“‘Ashman and Carpenter have collaborated to truly hilarious effect.” —School Library Journal

“M is for Mischief is part etiquette primer, part ABC lesson, but subversive humor is at its heart.” —Cookie Magazine

“Though the words are the wonderful winners here, Carpenter’s rambunctious double-page pictures, rendered in watercolor and occasional collage, provide excellent comedic support.” —Booklist

About this Story

I wrote this book in 2000 when Jackson was two years old and loved reading nursery rhymes. If you haven’t read any lately, nursery rhymes have a lot of naughty children in them–and the worse the behavior, the more Jackson liked the poem. Since I loved writing poetry, and knew a thing or two about naughty children, I figured I could write a few poems on the subject. When it occurred to me to organize it alphabetically, “a few poems” became 26 poems, and “Alphabrats” was born. Here’s the first:

Angry Abby

Abby’s apt to argue anytime and anyplace.

She’ll argue over apricots, an acorn, or an ace.

She’ll argue with an astronaut, an artist or a waiter.

A shame she had to argue with that awful alligator.”

Stephanie Lurie at Dutton bought the book later that year. And as it arrives in bookstores in July 2008, the two-year-old who inspired it is now 10 years old and reading novels, not nursery rhymes (and I have a lot more gray in my hair!). But as my mother liked to say, “Good things come to those who wait.” In the case of Nancy Carpenter’s wonderfully creative and hilarious illustrations, Mom was right.

Illustrations copyright 2008 by Nancy Carpenter. Dutton/Penguin.