What a gem of a book! These ABCs Belong to Me! isn’t just another alphabet book—it’s a high-five to every kid who’s ever been called “too much” or “not enough.” Alicia McKenzie turns everyday labels into superpowers, and the result is both empowering and incredibly fun.

From “Ambitious” to “Zany,” each page reminds kids (and let’s be honest, grown-ups too) that our quirks are what make us shine. “Bossy”? That’s leadership. “Picky”? That’s knowing your worth. It’s like a pep talk wrapped in playful rhymes and joyful, inclusive art.

I especially love that the book speaks to all children—no pronouns, no boxes, just big love for individuality. It’s the kind of book you finish with a smile and think, “I wish I had this growing up.”

Perfect for bedtime, classrooms, or just a little self-love boost. 10/10—these ABCs absolutely belong on your shelf!

I absolutely the innovative way of teaching the ABC's incorporating feelings. The illustrations add its own charm to the book.

Hmmm… An A-Z built of four-line rhymes for every letter, that aims to justify all the quirks of character we have, and to rinse any of the negative out of them. This is fine with some of the words chosen (Zany, Quiet, etc) but when it comes to others (Grumpy, Nosy, Stubborn and the rest of the dwarves) it can't always succeed in turning them on their head and into a positive attribute. Lively artwork, but I don't see this as being something that's actually for the junior reader attracted to it – this felt like being directed more to the adult book-buyer, and I wouldn't ever be one of them.

I love the way this book flips negative traits to positive ones. It's a good lesson that even if you have personality traits that some people view as negative, they can be part of your strength. This is a great book. And the illustrations are perfect. I would definitely recommend this to anyone with children. Thank you to The Collective Book Studio and NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

A really good book for learning and knowing feelings, emotions and vocabulary. The illustrations were great and super relevant.

Thanks so much to NetGalley for the free Kindle book. My review is voluntarily given, and my opinions are my own.

Love this ABC book, which uses words like ambitious, fussy, judgemental, and quiet. There are tons of great vocabulary words in the book that young readers may be unfamiliar with, which is a great learning opportunity.

Learning about emotions our very important for young children. Knowing how to express their emotions will help them learn to control them.

Would definitely recommend this!

This is such a fun read!! I love this totally unique way of teaching ABC's and by disrupting the labels. The illustrations make the book even more wonderful. I liked how the words that are usually associated with negative image is shown in a new light!!

I love A-Z books. I enjoy and anticipate what does each letter represents (specially letter "X"). This one could be included in my best list. Love hoe the author flips the script of what words of others which sometimes are mean to a positive and encouraging trait kids should have. It's a rhyming book but the texts are a bit long so this is for older kids. Also I do look forward to the art and how those letters of the alphabet blends with what word does it stands for. It has hits and misses but the entire book is still awesome.

What a great way to use words that have negative connections to people and turn them into something positive. This book makes the reader realize it is okay to use these "negative" words because it is who we are. Everyone is unique and negative words don't define us completely.

The author's note at the end of the book was a great reflection on how this book came to be.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

This is an interesting and useful concept that promotes the uniqueness of our strengths and differences.
We have all been called adjectives which do not always fit our personalities, behaviours or the situation or can be something positive depending on the perspective.
The title is a great fit and inside the book, each letter is assigned to a quality that has negative connotations.
All of these are accompanied by empowering illustrations.
The muted and flat illustrations are a nice change since many books have very bright digitalised art these days.

This book does a good job of taking a lot of terms that could be construed as negative traits, like "picky" and "vain," and showing the positive character traits that can underlie them. I appreciate that, with some of the words, the author acknowledges that these qualities can cause problems while still being positive overall. My only complaint would be the fact that the book rhymes a lot, but the meter makes it a clumsy read.

This ABC book takes words that might seem like put-downs and flips the script to show the positive side—like how “bossy” can mean confident, or “timid” can mean thoughtful. At first, I wasn’t sure about it, but once I got the concept, I really liked it. It’s a bit long to read in one sitting, but it works great as a kind of positive-word dictionary. As a girl who was told she was bossy the entire time she was growing up, it’s a great way to help kids see that even “mean” words can have a silver lining.

This book was so cute! I have a four year old and I really feel like she would enjoy this! It has larger words, so it will help her expand her vocabulary! I also think the pictures in the book are wonderful!
Thank you NetGalley and The Collective book studio for the arc of this book!

Alicia McKenzie has followed the trend of us ABC format in a book for older kids. The title sounds like a preschool book. But this book actually explores negative labels and looks at a character trait from a positive point of view. Each page starts with the familiar A is for ... abouttype phrase for ambitious, bossy, clumsy or some other negative trait. The four line poem that follows explains that trait in a positive light. For example, being bossy means you are a natural leader. Unfortunately, the book does not make it the point clear until the afterward. If the author's note had been at the beginning of the book , than the attempt to promote a positive self concept for kids with negative labels would have been more clear. Parents and teachers should read that note aloud first and the share the book with kids. Overall this book would be very useful for any kid and help them see themselves in a better light.

In this ABC book each letter looks at a word that might be considered an insult and then describes the positive attributes that are linked to that word. For example how those labeled bossy are often confident and assertive. How those who are timid are quiet, but take their time. At first this book was a little annoying but once I got what it was trying to do it’s perfect. It’s a little long, but it could also be used more as a dictionary. I do think it’s important for kids know insults may sound bad, but there are ways to see the good side of what they may be called by friends or by family.

A wonderful alphabet book! I love the positive twist put on these typically negative personal attributes. The illustrations were stunning. A great children's book with a great message.

There is so much color and vibrance in this book! But what I love is that it takes words and personality traits that may be negative and turns it into a lesson and something positive. /for any kid - be them neurodivergent or neurotypical - would enjoy this one.

I LOVE! As a preschool teacher, I really appreciate how this book takes words that have a negative association and spins them into a positive light. The illustrations are inspiring and are inclusive of all the faces in my classroom. This is a book I will be adding to our classroom library.

This is a cute ABC book that takes some traits that others may call us in a negative manner and helps to put a positive spin on them. The illustrations in this book were eye catching and the colors were bright. It really seemed to capture the attention of my little one!

Amazing illustrations! My daughter loved finding things on each page and she loved the big letters. Definitely would buy this for her as she is learning the alphabet!!