Tom Thumb’s Alphabet

English chapbook

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Last updated

July 14, 2026

Quick Summary

"Tom Thumb's Alphabet" is an English alphabet rhyme that was popular in chapbooks around 1712. Chapbooks were small, inexpensive booklets sold by itinerant dealers, often featuring woodcut illustrations and containing a variety of popular content, including nursery rhymes and school lessons.12

The rhyme begins:

A was an archer, who shot at a frog.
B was a butcher, and had a great dog.

Early versions of such rhymes sometimes included less suitable subject matter for children, which led to their replacement by more moralistic versions. "Tom Thumb" itself refers to a legendary English dwarf.13

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alphabet rhyme
Another, known as “Tom Thumb’s Alphabet,” enjoyed continuous popularity. The earliest printed record of it is from c. 1712. In its most familiar version, the rhyme begins:
Read More
Another, known as “Tom Thumb’s Alphabet,” enjoyed continuous popularity. The earliest printed record of it is from c. 1712. In its most familiar version, the rhyme begins:
Read More