Link to Abiyoyo InfoLink to Abiyoyo Returns InfoLink to W is for Windy City, A Chicago Alphabet InfoLink to The Hundredth Name InfoLink to Kevin and His Dad InfoLink to Some Friends to Feed, The Story of Stone Soup InfoLink to Jonathan and His Mommy InfoLink to The History of Counting InfoLink to Jackie Robinson InfoLink to The Gold Cadillac InfoLink to Pedro and the Monkey InfoLink to Three Wishes InfoLink to Hello, Tree! InfoLink to K is For Kiss Goodnight InfoLink to The Tin Heart InfoLink to My Father Doesn’t Know About the Woods and Me InfoLink to A Birthday for Blue InfoLink to Storm InfoLink to Holding on to Sunday InfoLink to The Boy Who Was Generous with Salt InfoLink to The Boy Who Loved Morning InfoLink to Because You’re Lucky Info
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Abiyoyo Returns Cover art by Michael Hays ©2010

Steven L. Layne serves as Professor of Literacy Education at Judson University in Elgin, IL, where he teaches courses in children’s literature and directs the university’s Master of Education in Literacy program. He is a 15-year veteran of public education and the author of 19 books.

During her 23 years in the education field, Deborah Dover Layne has taught at both the elementary and middle school levels, been a reading specialist, and served as a professor of reading at the college level. Currently, Deborah serves as elementary principal at Westminster Christian School in Elgin, Illinois. The Laynes, who have collaborated on three other titles for Sleeping Bear Press, live with their family in St. Charles, Illinois, just an hour west of Chicago.

Judy MacDonald has visited many famous cities – Los Angeles, New York, London, Paris, Munich and Jerusalem but her hometown and favorite is still Chicago. She and Michael work together as Painted Pony Studios, creating art for kids on “that toddlin’ town’s” far north side.



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W is for Windy City
A Chicago Alphabet

by Steven L. Layne and Deborah Dover Layne
illustrated by Michael Hays and Judy MacDonald

Sleeping Bear Press 2010

Welcome to the Windy City—America’s beloved Chicago! Open the pages and experience the wonders of the largest city in Illinois. From the visuals at the Art Institute to traveling the Loop on the “El” train, the opportunities are endless. You may want to read your way through the libraries, look upward to the city’s skyscrapers, stroll down Navy Pier and finish with two zoological gems. Poetry introduces each letter topic, followed by littleknown facts and in-depth details:

Buckingham Memorial Fountain majestically lit in the dark
is the centerpiece of a well-known P, Chicago’s beloved Grant Park.

Proudly referred to as Chicago’s “front yard,” Grant Park is among the city’s loveliest and most prominent parks. The park was named for Ulysses S. Grant, 18th president of the United States. The site of three worldclass museums—the Art Institute, the Field Museum, and the Shedd Aquarium—the park, which covers about 300 acres, hosts many notable concerts and events.

Whether you are a Chicagoan or a visitor and wherever your interests lie, W is for Windy City will leave you not only entertained, but also with a great appreciation for all that this dynamic city has to offer.