The Tiptoes Lightly Alphabet Book

The Alphabet: How Pine Cone and Pepper Pot (with the help of Tiptoes Lightly and Farmer John) learned Tom Nutcracker and June Berry their letters
by Reg Down

Last year we did the classic Waldorf 1st grade Capital Letters block. I prefer to do this block using picture books. I have a ton of notes on my website and in this blog, as well as a Ruzuku course focused on this main lesson block.

Then I like to do a chapter book read aloud later on in order to review them.

Last Spring, after we had finished all the letters, we read The Wise Enchanter: A Journey through the Alphabet by Shelley Davidow; this Fall I had a new 6 year old student join our group who hadn't done the letters in the Waldorf way, so we read the Tiptoes Lightly alphabet book by Reg Down.

LMNOP vs The Wise Enchanter blog post

Note: This isn't his only alphabet book! Reg Down also wrote a book for an older child (age 8 or above) who wants a deeper experience of the letters. Adam's Alphabet would be perfect if your child was in traditional school initially and then became a homeschooler, when you want to do something special with the alphabet but your child would be too old for Tiptoes.

After reading The Alphabet for the first time, here is my assessment.

The kids really enjoyed it! The older children in our group liked the book too. It is much more lighthearted and less suspenseful than The Wise Enchanter. The chapters are far shorter and the illustrations are colorful. There are lots of jokes sprinkled in. I do think that The Wise Enchanter is better if your child wants a deeper story and just ONE image for the letter. A phlegmatic or melancholic child would be drawn to the depth and sadness of the story, and the simpleness of the one image. A sanguine or choleric child would probably prefer The Alphabet because there is more bouncing around and silliness, lots of different ideas for where the letter can be found, and physical humor.

Determining Your Child's Temperament (PDF)

Here is a list of the images for each letter in the Tiptoes Lightly Alphabet book:

chapter 4 - A - alligators, A-frame cottage, ah

chapter 5 - B - bear, bee

chapter 6 - C - cat, crescent moon, candy cane, curvy cucumber, cookie

chapter 7 - D - duck

chapter 8 - E - elf king's elegant crown, elephant

chapter 9 - F - flag, flower, fish, fox

chapter 10 - G - goose

chapter 11 - H - humans holding elbows, hot dogs, hungry gnomes, hairy caterpillars

chapter 11 - I - I, iris, inchworm, idea

chapter 12 - J - jumping for joy, Jeremy Mouse

chapters 13 and 14 - K - king

chapter 15 - L - lazy lads, leopard

chapter 16 - M - mountain, mole hill, mounds, mallards, mouth

chapter 17 - N - noses (this chapter was my favorite)

chapter 18 - O - orange, oak tree, orb, oh

chapter 19 - P - pony, pot, Pepper Pot

chapter 20 - Q - Queen Quincy

chapter 21 - R - runner, rascal, rabbit

chapter 22 - S - swan, squirrel, snake, string, spaghetti

chapters 23 and 24 - T - touch, teeshirt, table, tray

chapter 25 - U - you

chapter 26 - V - valley

chapter 27 - W - wave

chapter 28 - X -

chapter 29 - Y - yellow light, yikes

chapter 30 - Z - zebra

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