The Graphic Alphabet (Caldecott Honor Books, 1997, No 3)

Rating:
Summary: History repeating itself?
Review: Although I did enjoy the art in this book, wasn't this book originally called "The Z Was Zapped" by the genius author/illustrator Chris Van Allsburg? Just by adding color doesn't make this a revolutionary book. My kids love the mystery and anticipation that comes with Mr. Van Allsburg's story, and I love how it challenges and promotes that higher level of thinking and word construction. Thank you, but I'll be sticking with Chris.

Rating:
Summary: History repeating itself?
Review: Although I did enjoy the art in this book, wasn't this book originally called "The Z Was Zapped" by the genius author/illustrator Chris Van Allsburg? Just by adding color doesn't make this a revolutionary book. My kids love the mystery and anticipation that comes with Mr. Van Allsburg's story, and I love how it challenges and promotes that higher level of thinking and word construction. Thank you, but I'll be sticking with Chris.

Rating:
Summary: Not just for little ones
Review: I wondered how could an alphabet book win a Caldecott Honor. I examined this book with my class of 10 year olds. They loved it and it inspired them to write their own. This book isn't just for little ones learning their alphabet!

Rating:
Summary: Not just for little ones
Review: I wondered how could an alphabet book win a Caldecott Honor. I examined this book with my class of 10 year olds. They loved it and it inspired them to write their own. This book isn't just for little ones learning their alphabet!

Rating:
Summary: A for Apple? Not any more!
Review: I'm torn! Is this a children's book or something I put on my coffee table? It's that good! Instead of cute pictures in bright colors representing letters, Pelletier takes a graphically unusual look at the alphabet using everything from color and graphic images to different varnishes to get across his message. The colors are bright with a black background that jump off the page. The unique images are clever and engaging. One of my favorites is the x-ray of a hand with crossing fingers for X. Have a child; know someone who does; looking for something interesting as an ice breaker? Take a look at this book!

Rating:
Summary: A witty alphabet book
Review: In an epilogue to his 1997 Caldecott Honor Book The Graphic Alphabet, David Pelletier explains his aim: "the illustration of the letterform had to retain the natural shape of the letter as well as represent the meaning of the word." The letter does not simply stand for the word, it becomes the word. So, a "D" represents the devil, by resting on its round side with serifs accentuated into horns; three "O"'s hang from strings as ornaments; "X" is represented in an x-ray image of crossed finger-bones. Each of the letters receives one page, on which the letter appears within a black box, with the word it represents printed below. The bright colors against the black background give the illustrations an intense and dramatic mood, with a sharp quality; the glossy paper plays up the clean lines of the work. Some of the illustrations are obscure and the letters so altered and distorted as to be unrecognizable; sometimes the illustrations seem a bit like an exercise for a graphic design class and not an instructional tool. This book is certainly not appropriate for making the concept of letters concrete for young children, though children who are newly able to recognize letterforms may appreciate extending their knowledge with this book.

Rating:
Summary: An ABC book which uses the letters themselves as examples.
Review: This is an alphabet book for children in which each letter is coupled with a word that is graphicly illustrated by the letter. For example, the letter A is accompanied by the word avalanche and one leg of the letter is collapsing as in an avalanch. The book was a 1997 Caldecott Honor book (i.e., a runner-up to the Medal winner) for best illustrations in a book for children. Children will enjoy identifying the letter with the "concept" representing it.