A to Zaaoe: Playing with History at the American Swedish Institute

A playful picture-book tour of the Swedish alphabet, in which curious characters explore the American Swedish Institute

A is for Akta dig! Look out! And when you do, you’ll see the nyckelharpa, or keyed fiddle, that Axel’s father made-which followed Axel from Sweden to America. You’ll also find Axel, a snappy dresser, with his umbrella and bowler hat. He’s one of the inquisitive characters who will accompany you on these pages, guiding you through the twenty-nine letters of the Swedish alphabet. Each letter does something exciting. C is Cirkulera! Go round and round! And for D, Dansa! Dance!

This fun introduction to the Swedish alphabet, a romp from A to Z (and then A to AE to OE), is also a delightful tour of the American Swedish Institute in Minneapolis, a cultural center alive with stories past and present. Artifacts from the museum’s collection are charmingly rendered in watercolor and animated by whimsical pen-and-ink characters that draw readers from page to page. Tara Sweeney and Nate Christopherson, a mother and son collaborative team, create magical realism in A to Zaaoe, their first picture book. Their irreverent curiosity delights and begs a timeless question-how can exploration and discovery help us grow?