Collection “The Shaggy Alphabet” by Zakhoder B.V. Furry alphabet zakhoder If you can, guess what the parrot will tell us

Furry alphabet

In this alphabet -
See for yourself! -
Live letters:
With tails
With a mustache,
They can run
And fly
Crawling and swimming
Bite and grab...

The letters are furry,
The letters are feathered,
Slender letters
And even hunchbacks
Dear ones,
Evil,
Ground,
Water -
Who are they?
Did you guess it?
- Animals!

ABC
Let it begin
WITH STORK -
He,
Just like the alphabet
It starts with "A"!

I'll take a look
On ANTELOPE-Wildebeest
And little by little I sigh:
- Why why
Transported to Europe
like this
Antiantelope?!!

None
No reason
At home
Hold the BISON,
Since it's ruminant
Rough and dark!

The CAMEL decided that he was a giraffe,
And he walks with his head up,
Everyone has
He makes you laugh
And he, Camel, spits on everyone!

Why are you sad, SPARROW?
- Few
It became
Horses!
It's hard for Sparrow these days
Feed your family!

As is customary among snakes
They bite your leg
VIPERS,
And therefore
When meeting her
Take your feet in your hands, children!

I haven't met for a long time
VIPERS.
And I didn’t miss anything
In separation!

Old Hedgehog
In the forests of the Caucasus
I met you once
PORCUBE.
- Well well! - Hedgehog exclaimed.
Who do you look like!

This little animal is quite harmless,
True, her appearance is unenviable.
People called the poor thing “ECHIDNA”.
People, come to your senses!
Shame on you?!

Why are you, Hedgehog, so prickly?
- This is me just in case:
Do you know who my neighbors are?
Foxes, wolves and bears!

I really like GIRAFFE -
Tall stature and gentle disposition.
Giraffe - he is taller than everyone else -
Even lions are afraid.
But I wasn’t blown away by such success
Giraffe heads.
Easily breaks a lion's back
The blow of his hoof
And he eats leaves and grass -
And not always enough...
I really like Giraffe
Although I'm afraid he's wrong!

Doesn't know any snow
Not a blizzard
He was born and raised
On South.
To the palm trees
And to the southern sky
Got used to it
ZEBU,
Although he's just a bull.

And best friend
He will honestly say:
- You are a TURKEY!

Here is the BOAR.
He's wild and vicious
But it is quite edible.
There are advantages
Even such a pig!

Wears
KANGAROO MOTHER
In a warm bag
For children,
And the kangaroo boys
All day
playing
Hide-and-seek!

The whale spends its entire life in water,
Although he is not a fish.
He eats in the sea and sleeps in the sea,
For which we thank him:
It would be cramped on land
From such a huge carcass!

COBRA curled up behind the glass.
Looks
Stupid and unkind.
Seen at first glance:
Little brain
Lots of poison.

LION was considered the king of beasts,
But that was old times.
They don't like kings these days,
And Leo is no longer a king.
He brutally strangled everyone,
Brutally straightened out
But the rules were bad, they say.
I couldn't handle things.
Now he sits quietly,
And in front of him is a fence.
He is dissatisfied, this Leo,
But that’s what he needs!

I asked Kangaroo:
- How can you stand the heat?
- I'm shaking from the cold! -
The kangaroo said to the walrus.

Who is RHINO
Way to go
Will give in
He will undoubtedly act wisely.
He, the thick-skinned one, likes to push
What's it like
To the poor passerby?
It's good that such ignoramuses
Will meet
Less and less!

MONKEYS - Our ancestors, your ancestors
We were swinging on one branch,
And now we are kept in a cage.
Is this good, kids?

How beautiful
PEACOCK!
Him
Vice
One:
All peacock
beauty
Begins
From the tail!

If you can, guess
What will the parrot tell us?
- That’s what he’ll say, I suppose.
What did they hammer into the parrot!

This bunny is our fellow countryman -
It's called RUSAK!

He is the largest on land,
Very, very kind ELEPHANT.
Apparently, even among animals
The one who is kindest is greater!

Poor OSTRICH!
More unfortunate
No
Father:
On the nest
He sat and sat endlessly
Patiently,
Persistently
Stubbornly...
From an egg
Finally
Appeared
Chick -
And he whined:
-Where is my mother?

TAPIR hangs his nose forever,
He is sad about one thing:
He was going to become an elephant
I still haven't grown up...

TIGER: Lattice
It is clearly drawn on it.
And it suits you very well
Cannibal bars!

Causes surprise
Diligence seal:
All day
The SEAL lies,
And to him
Don't be lazy!
It's a pity, seal's diligence -
Not a role model!

In all honesty I will say:
I feel bad, I feel bad, AWESOME, -
I look very ugly...
But I am not poisonous!

Only at night
Scary
Owl.
And in the light -
He
Powerless!

Lions and tigers
They are being tamed.
It's rare, but it happens.
But no one yet
Couldn't tame
FERRET.
God bless,
What a ferret
A very small animal!

For what
Such a wearer
HERON?
Then,
So that the herons
They grabbed the fish!

TURTLE makes everyone laugh,
Because he's in no hurry.
But where
Hurry up
Who is always at home?

Barks very loudly
SHAVKA
He knows very well:
The one who is louder
He will say "woof"
The one always
And he will be right!

JACKAL doesn't have it
Nothing lacking:
Hyena appearance,
Fox habit
Rabbit courage,
Wolf's grin -
Why else is he crying there?
Jackal?

Grab, swallow
They know how
PIKES -
Another
They don't need science!

I'm talking about the ostrich
About EMU,
I would write to you
Poem
But I just don’t understand:
Emu he
Or an emu?!

I frankly admit:
There is no beast
Starting with the letter "Y".
This is SOUTH KTOTOTAM.
I him
I came up with it myself!

In appearance
The Yak is very formidable,
But he is a big good man:
They say,
On it in Tibet
They ride boldly
Even children!

FURRY ABC

In this alphabet -
See for yourself! -
Live letters:
With tails
With a mustache,
They can run
And fly
Crawling and swimming
Bite and grab...
The letters are furry,
The letters are feathered,
Slender letters
And even hunchbacks
Dear ones,
Evil,
Ground,
Water -
Who are they?
Did you guess it?
- …………!

Boris Vladimirovich Zakhoder (September 9, 1918, Cahul, Bessarabia - November 7, 2000, Moscow) - Soviet Russian poet, children's writer, translator, popularizer of world children's classics.
Boris Zakhoder published his first poem for children, “Battleship,” in 1947 under the pseudonym Boris West in the magazine “Zateinik.” The main theme of Zakhoder’s poems for children is the animal world. Among the characters in his children's poems are ferrets, ostriches, kangaroos, antelopes, camels and other animals. As befits the heroes of children's works, animals in Zakhoder's poems for children commit evil and good deeds, talk and argue among themselves and with people, and make requests for justice and protection. The famous writer Lev Kassil spoke highly of the work of Boris Zakhoder, predicting great fame for the poet. In Russian children's literature, Zakhoder is also known as a translator. He translated into Russian such famous works for children as Winnie the Pooh, Mary Poppins, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, and The Town Musicians of Bremen.

In this alphabet -
See for yourself! -
Live letters:
With tails
With a mustache,
They can run
And fly
Crawling and swimming
Bite and grab...
The letters are furry,
The letters are feathered,
Slender letters
And even hunchbacks
Dear ones,
Evil,
Ground,
Water -
Who are they?
Did you guess it?
- ..........! [Guess: Animals] Stork ABC
Let it begin
WITH STORK -
He,
Just like the alphabet
It starts with "A"! Wildebeest I'll take a look
On ANTELOPE-Wildebeest
And little by little I sigh:
- Why why
Transported to Europe
like this
Antiantelope?!! Buffalo None
No reason
At home
Hold the BISON
Since it's ruminant
Rough and dark! Camel The CAMEL decided that he was a giraffe,
And he walks with his head up,
Everyone has
He makes you laugh
And he, Camel, spits on everyone! Sparrow- Why are you sad, SPARROW?
- Few
It became
Horses!
It's hard for Sparrow these days
Feed your family! Viper As is customary among snakes,
They bite your leg
VIPERS,
And therefore
When meeting her
Take your feet in your hands, children! More about her I haven't met for a long time
VIPERS.
And I didn’t miss anything
In separation! Porcupine Old Pzh
In the forests of the Caucasus
I met you once
Porcupine.
- Well well! - Pzh exclaimed.
Who do you look like! Echidna This little animal is quite harmless,
True, her appearance is unenviable.
People called the poor thing "ECHIDNA".
People, come to your senses!
Shame on you?! Hedgehog- Why are you, Hedgehog, so prickly?
- This is me just in case:
Do you know who my neighbors are?
Foxes, wolves and bears! Giraffe I really like GIRAFFE -
Tall stature and gentle disposition.
Giraffe - he is taller than everyone else -
Even lions are afraid.
But I wasn’t blown away by such success
Giraffe heads.
Easily breaks a lion's back
The blow of his hoof
And he eats leaves and grass -
And not always enough...
I really like Giraffe
Although I'm afraid he's wrong! Zebu ZEBU
Doesn't know any snow
Not a blizzard
He was born and raised
On South.
To the palm trees
And to the southern sky
Got used to it
Zebu,
Although he's just a bull. Turkey TURKEY
And best friend
He will honestly say:
- You are a turkey! Boar Here is the BOAR.
He's wild and vicious
But it is quite edible.
There are advantages
Even such a pig!

Kanguryat
Wears
Mother Kangaroo
In a warm bag
For children,
And the kangaroo boys
All day
playing
Hide-and-seek! Whale The whale spends its entire life in water,
Although he is not a fish.
He eats in the sea and sleeps in the sea,
For which we thank him:
It would be cramped on land
From such a huge carcass! Cobra COBRA curled up behind the glass.
Looks
Stupid and unkind.
Seen at first glance:
Little brain
Lots of poison. a lion LION was considered the king of beasts,
But that was old times.
They don't like kings these days,
And Leo is no longer a king. He brutally strangled everyone,
Brutally straightened out
But the rules were bad, they say.
I couldn't handle things. Now he sits quietly,
And in front of him is a fence.
He is dissatisfied, this Leo,
But that’s what he needs! Walrus WALRUS
I asked Kangaroo:
- How can you stand the heat?
- I'm shaking from the cold! -
Kangaroo said to Walrus. Rhinoceros Who is RHINO
Way to go
Will give in
He will undoubtedly act wisely.
He, the thick-skinned one, likes to push
What's it like
To the poor passerby?
It's good that such ignoramuses
Will meet
Less and less! Monkeys- Our ancestors, your ancestors
We were swinging on one branch,
And now we are kept in a cage.
Is this good, kids? Peacock How beautiful
PEACOCK!
Him
Vice
One:
All peacock
beauty
Begins
From the tail!

Parrot- If you can, guess
What will the PARROT tell us?
- That’s what he’ll say, I suppose.
What did they hammer into the parrot! Rusachok This bunny is our fellow countryman -
It's called RUSAK! Elephant He is the largest on land,
A very, very kind ELEPHANT.
Apparently, even among animals
The one who is kindest is greater! Ostrich Poor ostrich!
More unfortunate
No
Father:
On the nest
He sat and sat endlessly
Patiently,
Persistently
Stubbornly...
From an egg
Finally
Appeared
Chick -
And he whined:
-Where is my mother?

Tapir
TAPIR
I hung my nose forever,
He is sad about one thing:
He was going to become an elephant
I still haven't grown up... Tiger Lattice
It is clearly drawn on it.
And it suits you very well
Cannibal bars! Seal diligence Causes surprise
Diligence seal:
All day
The seal lies
And to him
Don't be lazy!
It's a pity, seal's diligence -
Not a role model! Already- I will honestly say:
I feel bad, I feel bad, AWESOME, -
I look very ugly...
But I am not poisonous! Owl Only at night
Scary
OWL.
And in the light -
He
Powerless! Ferret Lions and tigers
They are being tamed.
It's rare, but it happens.
But no one yet
Couldn't tame
FERRET.
God bless,
What a ferret
A very small animal! Heron For what
Such a wearer
HERON?
Then,
So that the herons
They grabbed the fish!

Turtle
TURTLE
Makes everyone laugh
Because he's in no hurry.
But where
Hurry up
Who is always at home? Mongrel SHAVKA
Barks very loudly
Mongrel
He knows very well:
The one who is louder
He'll say "woof"
The one always
And he will be right! Jackal JACKAL doesn't have it
Nothing lacking:
Hyena appearance,
Fox habit
Rabbit courage,
Wolf's grin -
Why else is he crying there?
Jackal? Pike Grab, swallow
They know how
PIKES -
Another
They don't need science! Emu I'm talking about the ostrich
About EMU,
I would write to you
Poem
But I just don’t understand:
Emu he
Or an emu?! Southern Whototam I frankly admit:
There is no beast
Starting with the letter "Y".
This is the SOUTH KTOTOTAM.
I him
I came up with it myself! Yak In appearance
The Yak is very formidable,
But he is a big good man:
They say,
On it in Tibet
They ride boldly
Even children!
Furry alphabet zakhoder

If you are planning to teach your child the alphabet, but don’t know where to start, then this book by Boris Zakhoder can solve your problem. “The Shaggy Alphabet” is both a complete work and a collection of individual poems. All of them are dedicated to different animals, but at the same time they are arranged in the strict order that the author intended. Namely, in alphabetical order. Well, for example, the book begins with a Stork and ends with a Yak. It is not difficult to guess that inside there are animals such as Giraffe, Eagle Owl, Elephant, Monkey and so on. The main thing is that each letter of the alphabet has its own character. And this is very smart, as it allows the child not to get confused in the letters.

Moreover, each poem dedicated to a specific letter reflects it not only in the name of the animal. There are a lot of words in the lines with this letter. Thanks to this, the child remembers the alphabet faster. And of course, like all the works of Boris Zakhoder, “The Shaggy Alphabet” is written with humor. This is not a textbook in its purest form. These are entertaining stories that can be read to kids before bed or at any other time. The poems are very simple, easily understood by children and easily remembered by them.

  • ABC
    Let it begin
    WITH STORK -
    He,
    Just like the alphabet
    It starts with "A"!

  • Wildebeest

    I'll take a look
    On ANTELOPE-Wildebeest
    And little by little I sigh:
    - Why why
    Transported to Europe
    like this
    Antiantelope?!!

  • Buffalo

    None
    No reason
    At home
    Hold the BISON
    Since it's ruminant
    Rough and dark!

  • Camel

    The CAMEL decided that he was a giraffe,
    And he walks with his head up,
    Everyone has
    He makes you laugh
    And he, Camel, spits on everyone!

  • Sparrow

    - Why are you sad, SPARROW?
    - Few
    It became
    Horses!
    It's hard for Sparrow these days
    Feed your family!

  • Viper

    As is customary among snakes,
    They bite your leg
    VIPERS,
    And therefore
    When meeting her
    Take your feet in your hands, children!

  • Porcupine

    Old Pzh
    In the forests of the Caucasus
    I met you once
    Porcupine.
    - Well well! - Pzh exclaimed.
    Who do you look like!

  • Echidna

    This little animal is quite harmless,
    True, her appearance is unenviable.
    People called the poor thing “ECHIDNA”.
    People, come to your senses!
    Shame on you?!

  • More about her

    I haven't met for a long time
    VIPERS.
    And I didn’t miss anything
    In separation!

  • Giraffe

    I really like GIRAFFE -
    Tall stature and gentle disposition.
    Giraffe - he is taller than everyone else -
    Even lions are afraid.
    But I wasn’t blown away by such success
    Giraffe heads.
    Easily breaks a lion's back
    The blow of his hoof
    And he eats leaves and grass -
    And not always enough...
    I love

    ...
  • Zebu

    ZEBU

    Doesn't know any snow
    Not a blizzard
    He was born and raised
    On South.
    To the palm trees
    And to the southern sky
    Got used to it
    Zebu,
    Although he's just a bull.

  • Turkey

    TURKEY

    And best friend
    He will honestly say:
    - You are a turkey!

  • Boar

    Here is the BOAR.
    He's wild and vicious
    But it is quite edible.
    There are advantages
    Even such a pig!

  • Kanguryat

    Wears
    Mother Kangaroo
    In a warm bag
    For children,
    And the kangaroo boys
    All day
    playing
    Hide-and-seek!

  • Whale

    The whale spends its entire life in water,
    Although he is not a fish.
    He eats in the sea and sleeps in the sea,
    For which we thank him:
    It would be cramped on land
    From such a huge carcass!

  • Cobra

    COBRA curled up behind the glass.
    Looks
    Stupid and unkind.
    Seen at first glance:
    Little brain
    Lots of poison.

In this alphabet -
See for yourself! —
Live letters:
With tails
With a mustache,
They can run
And fly
Crawling and swimming
Bite and grab...

The letters are furry,
The letters are feathered,
Slender letters
And even hunchbacks
Dear ones,
Evil,
Ground,
Water -
Who are they?
Did you guess it?
- Animals!

ABC
Let it begin
WITH STORK -
He,
Just like the alphabet
It starts with "A"!

I'll take a look
On ANTELOPE-Wildebeest
And little by little I sigh:
- Why why
Transported to Europe
like this
Antiantelope?!!

None
No reason
At home
Hold the BISON
Since it's ruminant
Rough and dark!

The CAMEL decided that he was a giraffe,
And he walks with his head up,
Everyone has
He makes you laugh
And he, Camel, spits on everyone!

- Why are you sad, SPARROW?
- Few
It became
Horses!
It's hard for Sparrow these days
Feed your family!

As is customary among snakes
They bite your leg
VIPERS,
And therefore
When meeting her
Take your feet in your hands, children!

I haven't met for a long time
VIPERS.
And I didn’t miss anything
In separation!

Old Hedgehog
In the forests of the Caucasus
I met you once
Porcupine.
- Well well! - Hedgehog exclaimed.
Who do you look like!

This little animal is quite harmless,
True, her appearance is unenviable.
People called the poor thing “ECHIDNA.”
People, come to your senses!
Shame on you?!

- Why are you, Hedgehog, so prickly?
- This is me just in case:
Do you know who my neighbors are?
Foxes, wolves and bears!

I really like GIRAFFE -
Tall stature and gentle disposition.
Giraffe - he is taller than everyone else -
Even lions are afraid.
But I wasn’t blown away by such success
Giraffe heads.
Easily breaks a lion's back
The blow of his hoof
And he eats leaves and grass -
And not always enough...
I really like Giraffe
Although I'm afraid he's wrong!

Doesn't know any snow
Not a blizzard
He was born and raised
On South.
To the palm trees
And to the southern sky
Got used to it
ZEBU,
Although he's just a bull.

And best friend
He will honestly say:
- You are a TURKEY!

Here is the BOAR.
He's wild and vicious
But it is quite edible.
There are advantages
Even such a pig!

Wears
KANGAROO MOTHER
In a warm bag
For children,
And the kangaroo boys
All day
playing
Hide-and-seek!

The whale spends its entire life in water,
Although he is not a fish.
He eats in the sea and sleeps in the sea,
For which we thank him:
It would be cramped on land
From such a huge carcass!

COBRA curled up behind the glass.
Looks
Stupid and unkind.
Seen at first glance:
Little brain
Lots of poison.

LION was considered the king of beasts,
But that was old times.
They don't like kings these days,
And Leo is no longer a king.
He brutally strangled everyone,
Brutally straightened out
But the rules were bad, they say.
I couldn't handle things.
Now he sits quietly,
And in front of him is a fence.
He is dissatisfied, this Leo,
But that’s what he needs!

I asked Kangaroo:
- How can you stand the heat?
- I'm shaking from the cold! —
The kangaroo said to the WARLUS.

Who is RHINO
Way to go
Will give in
He will undoubtedly act wisely.
He, the thick-skinned one, likes to push
What's it like
To the poor passerby?
It's good that such ignoramuses
Will meet
Less and less!

MONKEYS - Our ancestors, your ancestors
We were swinging on one branch,
And now we are kept in a cage.
Is this good, kids?

How beautiful
PEACOCK!
Him
Vice
One:
All peacock
beauty
Begins
From the tail!

- If you can, guess
What will the parrot tell us?
“That’s what he’ll say, I suppose.”
What did they hammer into the parrot!

This bunny is our fellow countryman -
It's called RUSAK!

He is the largest on land,
A very, very kind ELEPHANT.
Apparently, even among animals
The one who is kindest is greater!

Poor OSTRICH!
More unfortunate
No
Father:
On the nest
He sat and sat endlessly
Patiently,
Persistently
Stubbornly...
From an egg
Finally
Appeared
Chick -
And he whined:
-Where is my mother?

TAPIR hangs his nose forever,
He is sad about one thing:
He was going to become an elephant
Yes, I haven’t grown up yet...

TIGER: Lattice
It is clearly drawn on it.
And it suits you very well
Cannibal bars!

Causes surprise
Diligence seal:
All day
The SEAL is lying,
And to him
Don't be lazy!
It's a pity, seal's diligence -
Not a role model!

- I will honestly say:
I feel bad, I feel bad, AWESOME, -
I look very ugly...
But I am not poisonous!

Only at night
Scary
OWL.
And in the light -
He
Powerless!

Lions and tigers
They are being tamed.
It's rare, but it happens.
But no one yet
Couldn't tame
FERRET.
God bless,
What a ferret
A very small animal!

For what
Such a wearer
HERON?
Then,
So that the herons
They grabbed the fish!

TURTLE makes everyone laugh,
Because he's in no hurry.
But where
Hurry up
Who is always at home?

Barks very loudly
SHAVKA
He knows very well:
The one who is louder
He will say "woof"
The one always
And he will be right!

JACKAL doesn't have it
Nothing lacking:
Hyena appearance,
Fox habit
Rabbit courage,
Wolf's grin -
Why else is he crying there?
Jackal?

Grab, swallow
They know how
PIKES —
Another
They don't need science!

I'm talking about the ostrich
About EMU,
I would write to you
Poem
But I just don’t understand:
Emu he
Or an emu?!

I frankly admit:
There is no beast
Starting with the letter "Y".
This is the SOUTH KTOTOTAM.
I him
I came up with it myself!

In appearance
The Yak is very formidable,
But he is a big kind man:
They say,
On it in Tibet
They ride boldly
Even children!

Analysis of the poem “The Shaggy Alphabet” by Zakhoder

“The Furry Alphabet” by Boris Vladimirovich Zakhoder is a combination of a humorous introduction to the colorful fauna of the earth and a lesson on the development of speech and logic.

The poem was written no later than 1966. The poet at this time turned 48 years old, he actively publishes, and is a member of the Writers' Union. That same year he met his beloved woman, with whom he lived for more than thirty years. In terms of genre - the alphabet in pictures. The rhythm is dynamic, the rhymes are sonorous, the text is scenic and graphic. The name is already original. A series of verbs and adjectives leads the child to the correct answer to the writer’s question. The poems are about animals. The letter “a” in primers is usually adjacent to the stork. The author decided not to break tradition, but could not resist adding a wildebeest. In general, the poet chose not the most typical animals for his book, and gave them fresh, unexpected characteristics. That's why the alphabet turned out to be not boring. Personal opinion reigns everywhere: why were they taken to Europe? Along the way, he describes the rumination of a bison, ridicules a camel (at the same time playing on the idiom), talks with a sparrow suffering from gigantomania (an example of a folklore fable). Two stanzas are devoted to the viper. Here is free advice with the idiom about “feet in hand”. Twice the poet returns to the image of a hedgehog. At first, the old hedgehog is amazed at the sight of the porcupine, then he explains why he needs the quills. Children learn that the animal has many enemies in the forest. What follows is a confession: I like giraffe. However, his meekness is sometimes replaced by a blow of a hoof on the ridge. An almost lyrical song dedicated to the phlegmatic zeb. An aphoristic teaser about a turkey hurries after her. Wild boar evokes only gastronomic associations. But the kangaroo is given the honorable role of the best animal mother. There is even an affectionate neologism “kangaroo”. The poet reminds ignoramuses that a whale is a mammal. Cobra is awarded the most unflattering epithets. Next is an almost philosophical passage about the king of beasts. A cheerful paradox in the conversation between a walrus and a kangaroo. The rhinoceros is called ignorant, the monkeys are called the evolutionary ancestor of the readers of the poem. Indeed, why are ancestors in cells? A peacock and a parrot who are parroting fall under the distribution, a brown hare runs past, a fellow countryman to all of us, and finally, an elephant receives the epithet of the kindest animal. And again an educational moment with a male ostrich, a caring father. The melancholic tapir is jealous of the size of the elephant, the man-eating tiger is raging behind bars. The seal becomes a symbol of laziness, and of vain resentment, and the night power of the eagle owl is also debunked. And then there is a controversial passage about a ferret, which has now become quite a pet. It even explains why a heron needs a nose (suffix). The turtle is all at home, but the mongrel (probably from Krylov's fable) still barks in vain. The jackal is described by oxymorons: hare courage. On “sch” there is a voracious pike, on “e” there is an emu. The Southern Whototam, a fantastic beast, helps out the author with the letter “Y”. Finally, Tibetan Yak completes the alphabet.

B. Zakhoder's poetry is predominantly animalistic. Using examples from the animal world, he teaches children the skills of communication, friendship, and dealing with shortcomings.