Why ABC Books Matter
When most people think about why ABC books matters, they picture apples and balls and cats. Maybe a giraffe for G if the illustrator is feeling adventurous. And look—there’s nothing wrong with that. Teaching kids to recognize letters is important. But here’s what I’ve been thinking about lately: what if ABC books could do more?
I’m Felisha, and I’m the founder of Venture Achievers. I don’t have kids of my own, but I’ve watched enough babies turn into full-grown humans to know this: I came up with a question why ABC books matter? the words we introduce to children early on stick with them. Not just the letters, the actual words. The concepts behind those words. The tools those words give them to understand their world.
Vocabulary Isn’t Just About Spelling
I won a spelling bee in sixth grade. I’ve always loved words, how they sound, what they mean, how people use them to describe the world around them. But it wasn’t until I started working in education and entrepreneurship that I realized something: vocabulary is power.
And I don’t mean that in some abstract, motivational poster kind of way. I mean it literally. When kids have the words to name what they’re feeling, thinking, or experiencing, they can navigate life differently. They can ask better questions. They can articulate ideas that might have stayed locked inside their heads.
So when my co-founder Kevin and I decided to create Big Ideas for Little Achievers, we asked ourselves: what if we used those 26 letters to teach kids words through ABC books that actually build them? Words that help them develop character, curiosity, and purpose? That’s why ABC books matter.
A Is for Ask (Not Just Apple)
Don’t get me wrong apples are great. But A could also be for ask. Because asking questions is how we learn. It’s how we solve problems. It’s how entrepreneurs figure out what people need and then go build it.
Teaching a five-year-old that “A is for ask” does something quietly powerful. It tells them it’s okay not to know everything. It tells them curiosity is valuable. It tells them their questions matter.
The Words We Chose (And Why)
Every word in our ABC book was chosen intentionally. We wanted words that would grow with kids, words they’d use when they’re seven, seventeen, and twenty-seven. It’s not same as other ABC books in the market.
Words like:
- Dream – because big ideas start with imagination
- Rise – because falling down is part of learning
- Team – because nothing great gets built alone
- Voice – because their thoughts deserve to be heard
These aren’t just vocabulary words. They’re tools. They’re concepts that will show up again and again throughout a child’s life—in school, in friendships, in their future careers. We’re just introducing them early.
You Don’t Need Kids to Care About This
I was adopted at age four. I didn’t grow up in a house where people talked much about dreams or goals or entrepreneurship. But I’ve spent my adult life thinking about learning, growth, and what helps people become the best versions of themselves.
And here’s what I’ve observed: the earlier kids get exposed to empowering ideas, the more naturally those ideas become part of who they are. You don’t have to wait until middle school to teach a kid about goals. You don’t have to wait until high school to introduce them to the idea of creating something valuable.
You can start at an age much earlier. With an alphabet book.
What Makes a “Good” ABC Book?
I think a good ABC book does more than teach letters. It opens doors. It plants seeds. It gives kids language for concepts they’ll need their entire lives.
Big Ideas for Little Achievers is our way of speaking greatness into kids early. Because they don’t have to be big to have big ideas. They just need the words to express them.
Ready to introduce your little achiever to 26 words that build character, curiosity, and purpose? Get your copy of Big Ideas for Little Achievers here.
