Book Review: These ABCs Belong to Me! by Alicia McKenzie

Rating: ★★★★☆ (4/5)

Alicia McKenzie’s These ABCs Belong to Me! is a refreshing and empowering children’s book that reimagines the traditional alphabet book by transforming stigmatized words into affirmations of self-worth. The book’s core strength lies in its ability to address complex social and emotional themes—such as identity, resilience, and self-acceptance—in a way that is accessible and engaging for young readers. McKenzie’s approach is both innovative and necessary, offering a tool for parents and educators to foster conversations about positivity and empowerment.

The book’s structure follows the familiar ABC format but subverts expectations by associating each letter with words or phrases that children might encounter as labels or challenges (e.g., “A for Authentic,” “B for Brave”). McKenzie’s prose is simple yet impactful, ensuring clarity for its target audience while leaving room for deeper discussion. The illustrations are vibrant and complementary, enhancing the book’s message of celebration and inclusivity.

One of the book’s standout features is its refusal to shy away from difficult topics. By reclaiming language often used negatively, McKenzie encourages children to reframe their understanding of themselves and others. This aligns with contemporary educational movements focused on social-emotional learning (SEL) and anti-bullying. However, the book could benefit from additional backmatter, such as discussion questions or activities, to further support caregivers in extending its lessons beyond the page.

While the concept is executed with warmth and creativity, the pacing occasionally feels uneven, with some letters receiving more nuanced treatment than others. A tighter balance between consistency and depth would elevate the book’s impact. Nonetheless, These ABCs Belong to Me! is a valuable addition to children’s literature, particularly for its bold approach to fostering self-esteem and empathy.

Final Thoughts:
McKenzie’s debut is a commendable effort that fills a gap in children’s books addressing self-perception and societal labels. Its strengths far outweigh its minor flaws, making it a recommended read for families and classrooms alike.

Acknowledgments:
Thank you to NetGalley and the author, Alicia McKenzie, for providing an advance copy of These ABCs Belong to Me! in exchange for an honest review.

This book was wonderful! I thought it was so amazing how McKenzie does turn negatives into positives. This is helpful for children labelled as these things to view their strengths as well as for adults to remain open-minded and empathetic towards a child that might be a bit challenging. This book inspired me to be more empathetic and had me feeling more confident about my own "flaws".

I absolutely loved this book and will be purchasing it for my kids on release date too!

The illustrations are dynamic and colourful. I love the reframing of attributes that can often be used in a negative away and prompting people to look for the positives or understand why people might be that way.

As a woman who grew up with undiagnosed ADHD a lot of these words were used to describe me in a negative way and there was actually something quite healing in reading this book.

I am excited to purchase a physical copy to read regularly with my kids

I liked how this book took some adjectives that are typically seen as 'bad' and twisted them into good things (i.e. 'bossy'). It also seemed like a good way to help kids learn to put a name to their emotions to try to help them determine why they're acting the way they are and what can help them feel better (i.e. 'grumpy' = needs more rest). It did feel very wordy at times however.

These ABCs Belong to Me, written by Alicia McKenzie and illustrated by Sarah Demonteverde goes through the alphabet and talks about different descriptiove traits that can apply to children and individuals, I liked this book because it looked at some emotions that are seen in a negative way and how they can actually be positive, and also showed a diverse variety of characters in the book. I wasn’t sure how I felt at first about some of the “negative” descriptive words that were being used but I realize now that is kind of the point. Children are often told that they might be bossy, extra, or a know it all, (just to name a few!) and it is important for them to know that this isn’t always a bad thing. Sometimes these traits or characteristics help us to be the people that we are!

Thank you to NetGalley and to the author, publisher, and narrator of this book for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

An adorable children’s book, and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it to my baby son. As a Mama to two, possibly three kiddos with Autism, I loved how inclusive the language is and is encouraging us both to all be gentle with ourselves about our multitude of feelings and also to be kind and inclusive with one another. Beautifully illustrated and a delight to read about the different emotions.

The author, herself a mother of five children, really gets to the heart of what makes us diverse and why it's special to appreciate our uniqueness. I love the wide variety of human qualities that are celebrated including being clumsy, a picky eater, bossy, or quiet. Not good or bad, just ways we are or feel at times.

This is such an inclusive, colorfully illustrated book, that will be perfect for storytime or bedtime readings. I highly recommend this book for schools and libraries.

These ABCs Belong to Me! is an empowering alphabet book that encourages readers to reclaim words often seen as negative, like “bossy,” “clumsy,” and “picky.” The illustrations are vibrant and diverse, bringing the message to life. The book teaches children that we are more than the labels others may place on us. However, I do wonder if younger readers might misinterpret some of the words or use them in ways we don’t want them to describe themselves, such as “obnoxious.” This book might be better suited for older elementary students, perhaps in a restorative practice setting or as part of a discussion about labels in the classroom. It’s a great tool for encouraging reflection and conversation about self-worth. Thanks to NetGalley and The Collective Book Studio for the ARC!

I love the illustrations, and how positive the descriptions for each word are! But for some words, that is also a problem, as it doesn't allow them to be accurately described. For example, I can see a child not grasping the full meaning of "obnoxious" and going around using the word to describe themselves.

Overall, a great book for children to learn some new adjectives and have fun choosing which ones match them :)

It’s a really charming book with a message that’s just as delightful. However, some of the vocabulary and the way certain definitions are presented might be confusing for young children. My only concern is that kids may start using words like "bossy" or "impulsive" without fully understanding what they mean. That being said, I do think the overall message is positive and worthwhile!

What a great read! I loved the different adjectives to describe children in many different unique ways!
I read this with my Pre-K class and each child related to a different page.

This is perfect! My daughter has recently started her reading journey, so I have added a few books to my ipad mini for her to read on kindle when on the go. She loves them! This one was so cute. The pages were a bit weird on kindle at first, but after some formatting it was a bit easier to read.