Though Rosen does not include this in his book, because he says “pedantically and fussily” that it’s a symbol, not a letter. But the ampersand was once considered part of the alphabet.

There are 26 letters in the English alphabet. But how did they get there, and why do they look the way they do? Michael Rosen tackles these questions and more in his new book Alphabetical.

down and made of concrete. That's from writer and illustrator Oliver Jeffers' new kids' book, Once Upon an Alphabet: Short Stories for all the Letters. The story ends with Cup broken on the ...