Product Description

A graphical representation of the alphabet gives a new view of the letters, from the A that crumbles as an avalanche approaches to the D that glows with the light of the devil.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #344718 in Books
• Published on: 1996-09-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 32 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9780531360019
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

Amazon.com Review
Most alphabet books for pre-readers and early readers set out to make the somewhat abstract idea of letters as clear and as clearly linked to words as possible. In The Graphic Alphabet, graphic designer David Pelletier has created an alphabet book that aims to explore letters for their beauty and complexity as design elements as well as help teach kids how to read. His "A," for example, stands for "avalanche," and with its normally pointed top tumbling down the right diagonal, the letter doesn't just stand for the avalanche, it becomes the word. Pelletier is equally ingenious throughout. And while this might not be the best book to make the concept of letters concrete for youngsters, it will certainly help instill in them a sense of wonder about letters and words.

From Publishers Weekly
This arresting alphabet book is far removed from the "A is for Apple" school of abecedaries. Here, A is for Avalanche, and the churning snow in the accompanying illustration crumbles from the summit of an A-shaped mountain. B is for Bounce, and the arcing path of a blue ball loops to form the outer curves of that letter. Each of the 26 letters is thus ingeniously featured in an illustration that represents the word in question. Glossy and elegant, Pelletier's debut work is striking for the clean lines of its images and the overarching simplicity of its composition. Each letter is showcased against a sleek black background, vivid colors against a square of darkness. There is humor here, too: set sideways, the letter D glows as a horned red devil; in a ghoulish X ray two bony fingers overlap to form an X. Even so, this book is too sophisticated for kids just learning their ABC's; it may best suit older children with an interest in art and adults with an interest in graphic design. All ages.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal
Grade 1 Up-Graphic designer David Pelletier has created a striking and imaginative concept book. Against a stark, black backdrop, each vibrantly colored letter of the alphabet interprets a single word. The words are serendipitous. There appears to be no theme or criteria for their selection. Although they are mostly nouns, e.g., avalanche, devil, mountains, and edge, an occasional verb materializes (e.g., hover and juggle). This free association of words, the mixture of parts of speech, and the sophisticated visuals may be confusing to very young children, but the designs are fascinating. It is the graphics that give the book continuity. In a minimalistic fashion, intriguing shapes and spatial elements have been conceived. Like Chris Van Allsburg's The Z Was Zapped (Houghton, 1987) and Stephen Johnson's Alphabet City (Viking, 1995), this book challenges the mind and eye through the artist's unique perspective. It could elicit some interesting discussions as to the effectiveness of each design and why it works. A fine choice for examining the creative use of line, form, and space.
Carol Schene, Taunton Public Schools, MA
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Customer Reviews

A for Apple? Not any more!
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!

... next time won't you discuss the clarity of contrast with me...
This is kind of rare. A graphic designer without any children's book credentials to his name, creates an alphabet book in 1996 that (in his own words), "had to retain the natural shape of the letter as well as represent the meaning of the word", by using good design. So he produces the book, it wins the incredibly prestigious Caldecott Honor, and Pelletier never makes another children's book again. Now, creating kids' books is an addictive activity. You may start out with the best intentions in the world and you may tell yourself, "I'll just do this one book to get it out of my system". But after that first book garners some attention you find yourself making another and another and another. It would have made all the sense in the world for Pelletier to follow up his award winning book with one about, oh say, numbers. Yet as of this review (written in that overblown year of 2005) this particular graphic designer hasn't been any more tempted to return to the heady world of kiddie lit. Instead, he leaves us with this peculiar alphabet book that is perfect for adults who love design but probably downright bizarre to those children who are trying to learn their a, b, c's.

In this book, Pelletier takes each letter of the alphabet and displays it with a word starting with that letter. For example, A is given the word Avalanche. Looking at the letter, you see a gigantic letter A (the one on the cover) with pieces of it breaking off and falling into an abyss. For the letter N we see noodles filling a page, all looking like little lowercase N's. Get the idea? Good, because it gets a little obscure sometimes. For example, this being a book of good design, L is of course going to stand for Lines. Two 90 degree angles made up of thin lines mirror one another. In pictures such as this, kids are going to have to already know their letters to discover where they're hidden on the pages. Fortunately, Pelletier gives them a heads up right from the start. His B, standing for Bounce, looks more like a softened M than a B on its side. And it definitely takes some squinting and frowns to make the R for Rip look like much more than a gash in a page.

Certain picture books are designed with adults in mind. There should be an entire genre of to-be-read-only-by-adults alphabet books out there. None of this is to say that the book isn't lovely. The visual pleasure that comes from the complimentary strands of color in Knot or the skeletal crossing of the fingers in X-ray are lovely. As a book who's pictures are done entirely on a computer, however, this hardly deserved to win an award for great illustration. It's pleasing to the eye but from reviews already written about this book, its best for kids ages 10 and up. And therefore useless as an alphabet book.

Admittedly, "The Graphic Alphabet" is probably directly responsible for some of the more original alphabet books out there. Things like, "The Hidden Alphabet" by Laura Vaccaro Seeger, "The Turn Around Upside Down Alphabet Book" by Lisa Campbell Ernst, or even Stephen T. Johnson's, "Alphabet City". Unlike these, however, "The Graphic Alphabet" is an example of useless design. This is design as art, not as something utilitarian (like actually learning the alphabet). I'm sure Mr. Pelletier has many sterling qualities and the book is a lovely thing to look at, no question. But if you're buying it for a kid, give it to one already enrolled in a class that looks at the influences of Le Corbusier and Mondrian. Better still, pair it with Mark Gonyea's, "A Book About Design" for kids. This is a great resource but only if used in the correct way.

Not just for little ones
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!