An alphabet picture book that gives a rhyme for each letter to do with Queen Elizabeth I's summer holiday royal progress ("An A for adventure. Our spirits are high! Fare thee well London. All's ready. Let's fly!") and then provides a short paragraph explaining a historical aspect of the royal progress. The pictures illustrate the rhyme and the information, often with a little "extra" narrative thrown in. Fascinating and lavishly illustrated, though I am a little "hmm?" about who this book is for. The information and illustrations seem 8+, while the overall format (alphabet book) seems a good deal younger. Perhaps I underestimate older children's willingness to return to "younger" formats if executed well. ( )

The Queen's Progress is a picture alphabet book written by Celeste Davidson Mannis.The book follows Queen Elizabeth's annual vacation through the English countryside by add historical details to accompany each new letter and giving insight into the English culture of Elizabeth's reign. Complete with a glossary defining different terms, readers are welcome to expand their vocabulary. Beautiful period pictures are very helpful when visualizing the period dress. Though the author completes the book with a short biography of Elizabeth's life, I felt that I had to read through this book twice to really see everything: once for the story and again to look at all the pictures because they're beautiful, but very busy as well. This is still a good book for anyone interested in England's greatest monarch. ( )

Elizabeth Tudor is famous for having been loved by her subjects, and garnishes seemingly the same respect and awe more than 400 years after her death. With marvelously rich illustrations, this whimsical book relates through an alphabetical format various aspects of her reign, with a focus on her annual progress, or travels through England. The arrangement following the linear progress of the alphabet is a great organizational format for a picture book, and especially effective for this one that discusses the Queen’s travels in a long line around her country. Once the elaborate cover invites the reader inside, we find a wealth of information in the book jacket alone. The book is recommended for ages 4-8, though I had a lovely reading experience and learned much as an adult. Here, we also learn about the illustrator and the author, who transformed more than a thousand pages of historical research into this concise picture book.

The sumptuous illustrations support the writing in their conveyance of historical events. After a portrait of Elizabeth I, the text begins with the semblance of a royal decree. And off the reader goes, beginning with “an A for adventure.” Each letter of the alphabet is contained within a four-line verse about a word that begins with that letter and relates to the Queen’s progress. Additionally, a brief paragraph in smaller font, speaking to an older audience, provides more information about the topic. For nearly every letter of the alphabet, the figures in the illustrations interact with the large capital letter. Did I mention that the illustrations are awesome? The rich patterning of their garments conveys the luxury of the royals’ lifestyle. They are also smart. In “E is for England,” we see a map of the country from a bird’s eye view. The accompanying paragraph mentions her planners’ “exhausting job” and sometimes “frenzied rescheduling.” Older audiences will note the barmaid delivering five goblets of wine to the five men seated around the map. In “O is for orchard,” the “O” forms a window out of which Elizabeth observes an apple orchard as she holds a slice of the fruit.

The book ends with the ornate gates of a palace and a brief paragraph about Elizabeth’s death and her successor. Finally, a full page of small-print text tells more details about the life of the Queen and her ascension to the throne. The format described makes this accessible to and enjoyable for a variety of ages. The youngest children can learn from the images (yeah, they’re really that beautiful) while early readers can focus on the four-line verses. Adolescents and adults can read the paragraphs and talk to younger people about what they say. Next, the final full-page information can be read by more advanced readers before or after the main text to help provide a more whole understanding of Elizabeth and her titular period. ( )

The extraordinary artwork by Bagram Ibatouline and perfect calligraphy Alphabet is a great introduction to the Elizabethan period and Queen Elizabeth I. The Queen's Progress is an attempt by a monarch of this era to take a vacation. It begins " Even the queen is obliged to take a holiday from her cares and woes. But there is no such thing as a simple escape as every good subject knows. In a European History course I would begin a book talk with this book. I would assign my students to look over the pages and pick out things from the era and look up the definitions. I would explain to my students that they should go through this book like " an art gallery of the time. With the definitions ( I would ask them to define 10 items portrayed in the artwork) I would ask them to 1) draw something from the period or write a poem about the period or of they are very talented write out some calligraphy letters. If they are performers I would ask them to perform a skit - it can give any and all students a fun way to interact with this often boring time of history to a student.. ( )

Celeste Davidson Mannis uses this book in order to teach the reader about Queen Elizabeth 1 of England. She uses the Queen's annual progress to show the life and times of people living in Elizabethan England. Each page is dedicated to a letter of the alphabet with a poem attached as well as a brief prose section describing life in the late 1500s. Although I appreciate the writing, for me the real story lies in the illustrations. Bagram Ibatoulline brings this story to life with his rich illustrations full of attention to detail. From country homes to hedgerows to maids and servants, Ibatoulline's drawings help to really show what life was like during this period of time. Not only do I feel that this book could be used in a history class, but I also feel like it could be used in an art class as well. ( )