Open this unusual book and you'll be greeted by a striking image of an arrowhead, surrounded by a simple black frame. Lift the frame and the arrowhead will be magically transformed into the letter A. And so it goes, from Balloons, Cloud, and Door, through Leaf and Mice, to Yolk and Zipper. Bold distinctive images and a simple yet ingenious format make this a concept book, and a gift book, to treasure.
a dissenting opinion The concept behind this book is interesting but it's art work holds no appeal for my niece. For example, O's representative of an olive is not a beautiful green mediterranean olive but a gray olive that looks more like a rock with a red center. I like the unconventional choices but I imagined they would be painted in a more traditionally pretty way given it's audience is very young kids. T is a dry looking piece of toast. If you find the artwork attractive then you will like this picture book. I agree with my niece. These painting don't make me want to linger either.
Very Artistic I bought this book because I wanted something other than the typical "A is for Apple, B is for Ball" kind of alphabet book. Although this book is no more complicated than that from a language acquisition perspective, it is a much more artistic book than any alphabet book I found in my search. The artwork is very beautiful and sophisticated, not just silly cartoon illustrations that so often fill children's books. I also like that it's interactive in that child lifts the flap to see not just more of the artwork but also the letter underneath -- it's more likely to hold a small child's attention that way. The paper is pretty thick, so I'm hoping it will be fairly durable for use by a single child or family. (It might not stand up to the constant use of a nursery school or library.) Another really artistic alphabet book I'd also recommend is Animalia by Graeme Base, but that one is probably better for older children.
Alphabet as art A book that manages to break out of the endless stream of alphabet books clogging the shelves of libraries and bookstores. It's got a style all It's own and a sophisticated view on what we all see as a letter and how we attach meaning to letterforms and words. The cutout form is used to great effect here by not giving it all away for free. You have to think to devour this book. both before you lift the cut-out page and after. The reader needs to look carefully at some letters than younger kids may not get right away - and all the better. A smart kid will get smarter looking at this book, and a new reader will be satisfyingly challenged. Satisfying for adults, it is a great example of how art can have meaning to all ages.
...and speaking of books that should be considered art... When you think of lift-the-flap-books, you may find yourself imagining those remarkably simple (not to say stupefyingly dull) "Spot" books or some other such dribble. Books that, while perfectly good, aren't exactly going to challenge wee ones' brains too too much. When you think of alphabet books, the mind turns to books where each page displays a letter with some object that begins with that letter. Ho hum, you say? Not a bit of it. "The Hidden Alphabet" has combined two overdone and usually shoddily produced picture book staples to create what may arguably be THE most beautiful alphabet book ever designed. Whether or not children will like the book for its flaps or its pictures remains to be seen. What is unquestionable, however, is its inherently gorgeous layout.
The book is remarkably thick. Probably one of the thickest picture books I've ever had the pleasure of playing with. When you open it up you see two pages with deep black paper. A small square has been cut out on each page, behind which is an image. Underneath the cutout is a word describing that image. For example, the first two pages show an "arrowhead" and some "balloons". Now lift the flap. Behind the first page the arrowhead becomes the center of a marbelized A. Behind the second flap the balloons are the holes in a deep blue B. Now on occasion Amazon.com will allow you to search inside the book and look at some of the pictures. Sadly, you cannot do that here. If you could, you would possibly be able to see some of the cleverer switches. Multiple pointy mouse heads poke inwards to reveal an M. Nails lying askew morph into a lovely N. The book offers no commentary or explanation. This is simply a way to make exploring the alphabet a fun and beautiful experience.
For parents of the sticky-fingered set, I am happy to report that the pages in this book are thick and durable. This isn't to say that a highly dedicated tot couldn't rip an L or a Z out if he or she really wanted to. It just cuts down on the number of potential accidents, is all. Also (and I credit the publisher with this one) fingerprints don't show up on the black pages. Kudos there. All in all, this is a gorgeous piece of work. One of the finest (if not THE finest) alphabetic jaunts to grace library and bookshelves nationwide. If you'd like to make a gift of an alphabet book to someone, but you don't want to feel cheap, "The Hidden Alphabet" is the lushest of its kind. Recommended in spades.
Easily goes far beyond the usual a-b-c primer It's hard to peg this presentation: Laura Vaccaro Seeger's The Hidden Alphabet's fold-out pages mean it's unlikely to remain durable enough for library lending, yet its unique approach to an artistic look at the alphabet deems it of interest to an older audience than the usual alphabet book would appeal to. Nonetheless, fans of artistic alphabet presentations will find The Hidden Alphabet easily goes far beyond the usual a-b-c primer, inviting fresh perspectives on alphabet art.
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