A treasure close to home Maine-focused book flavors ABCs with learning, beauty

L IS FOR LOBSTER, A MAINE ALPHABET, written by Cynthia Furlong Reynolds and illustrated by Jeannie Brett, Sleeping Bear Press, Chelsea, Mich., 2001, 36 pages, hardcover, $16.95.

Twenty years ago a librarian friend recommended that journalist Cynthia Reynolds create a book about Maine for young children. Reynolds could not immediately take her up on the suggestion. First, (work) assignments and then the birth of three children didn’t allow her to start a writing project of her own. But she never put the idea out of her mind.

Fortunately for readers young and old who treasure our state, Reynolds connected with a publishing house that could make her dream become a reality. In a phone chat from her Michigan winter home she explained that a couple of years ago she interviewed an editor at Sleeping Bear Press. The working relationship she established culminated in the creation of “L is for Lobster.”

This beautifully illustrated book is a wise investment. Unlike many alphabet books that are discarded once a child has mastered the letters, it will be of great assistance to an intermediate-grade student immersed in a Maine studies program. Even a parent can learn quite a bit!

Each letter is represented by a being, place, or object with strong Maine associations. The rhyming descriptive text and the richly detailed accompanying paintings give young learners a vivid picture of their home state. Sidebars written at a higher reading level give older students (and parents!) more detailed information.

Let’s look at Q. A dramatic double page spread shows the welcome beam from a lighthouse guiding a storm-damaged ship to safety. The rhyming text celebrates this protection:

“Q is for Quoddy Lighthouse, a friend that stands beside the sea,

warning of dangers so ships sail worry-free.

On top of its tower burns a bright light

That cuts through the fog and the dark of the night.”

The sidebar gives information about its history and the evolution of Maine’s lighthouses from solitary, family-run outposts to automated stations.

Of all the work she has done in two decades of writing, “L is for Lobster” is the project closest to Reynolds’ heart. Residing now in Michigan because of her husband’s job, she and her family spend part of each summer in a camp Down East. She plans to become a year-round Maine resident when her sons graduate from high school. This goal has helped her survive many moves. “Maine is the one constant in my life and the lives of my kids.”

In writing “L is for Lobster” Reynolds wanted to pass on her love of Maine to families and to give folks the opportunity to get a good overall view of it. “This is a unique and wonderful state. No other area can claim a similar history.”

In researching this book Reynolds was able to learn much about her beloved state. She was surprised to discover that more than 90 percent of its land is covered in forest – no other state has such a high percentage of woodlands – and that only 3 percent of its land is farmable. “This affected a lot of careers and families. My own ancestors went to sea because they couldn’t make a living farming. I came to realize how much their environment shaped and molded the [Maine] people’s lives.”

After you acquire this fascinating book don’t just read it and put it aside. Let it be the inspiration and guide for day trips at times when your children nag that they’re bored and there’s nothing to do. It may help you discover treasures you’ve taken for granted very close to home.

Reynolds also has a Christmas book and a Maine counting book coming out soon.