Expecting preschool children to learn through passive listening doesn't really work. They need hands-on, interactive experiences to think and talk about. As a result, I'm always on the lookout for alphabet books with an interesting twist that might make a book about letters interactive.

In itself, Discovering Nature's Alphabet is not interactive, but if you use this book as a springboard to go outside and get your own photographs of shapes that look like letters, it is inspiring. Put an inexpensive digital camera into the hands of your preschooler and together go on a letter hunt! Rather than looking for the whole alphabet, start by looking for the letters of your child's name. In Picture science : using digital photography to teach young children by Carla Neumann-Hinds, 2007, Hinds assures us that four-year-old children can use a camera safely and responsibly. For some photography "tips and tricks," check out this website: Discovering Nature's Alphabet website

Can you suggest an alphabet book that preschoolers enjoy?