book data
276 ratings,
4.07
average rating, 32 reviews
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published
1998
(first published 1987)
by Houghton Mifflin
binding
Paperback, 56 pages
isbn
0395937485
(isbn13: 9780395937488)
description
A dramatic black-and-white presentation of the alphabet in which the two-time Caldecott Medalist depicts a mysterious transformation of each letter.
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5 stars (104)
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4 stars (97)
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3 stars (62)
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2 stars (8)
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1 star (3)
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avg 4.07
editions: all | this edition
editions: all | this edition
Read in October, 2008
recommends it for:
Parents and children 2yrs-5yrs
Synopsis: Something is a foot within the Alphabet Theater! A dramatic portrayal in twenty-six acts, with moments both poignant and painful. This production is sure to capture the attention of all who experience it. With strong associations between words and letters. Could this be an alphabet book in disguise?
Review: Presented in classic theater style, Chris Van Allsburg creates a world of familiar ABC characters that are going through some tough, frightening times. The "A" is be...more
Review: Presented in classic theater style, Chris Van Allsburg creates a world of familiar ABC characters that are going through some tough, frightening times. The "A" is be...more
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Read in May, 2009
This alphabet book is quite a unique production; each letter appears on the right-hand side of the book, then when the page is turned a brief bit of text is given: "The A was in an Avalanche," "The B was badly bitten," and so on. This lends a bit of a wordless-book experience, since the image must be interpreted before the text is read.
It is rendered in black-and-white charcoal, and unlike most alphabet books, the scene never shifts, but their presentation is call...more
It is rendered in black-and-white charcoal, and unlike most alphabet books, the scene never shifts, but their presentation is call...more
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I think this is an interesting book for children who already know their alphabet. I don't think it is good for kids who are learning their alphabet because the letters are often distorted and the words about the letter can't be seen at the same time as the letter itself. This would be confusing for a child to who is learning the alphabet to be looking at one letter and hearing about a different letter. I especially worry about already ambiguous letters like "M" and "N."
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Clever illustrations, but it annoyed me that you have to turn the page to read the text to go along with the illustration on the previous page. Seems like that would thoroughly confuse kids. You know, they are looking at a picture of a "C" and the text is describing the illustration of the "B".
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Read in June, 2009
Interesting black and white alphabet book, which kind of reminds me of Edward Gorey, in the way that all the letters meet their end. My favorite letters were "The C was Cut into ribbons," and "The K was quietly Kidnapped."
04/15/09
Louisa
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Read in April, 2009
My favorite part of this book were the illustrations. They were beautiful. It was a fun abc book but nothing too original. I did like the idea of a twenty six act play, though. I thought that was cute.
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I loved these books as a kid. I think the imagery may have led me by the hand to my teenage and present love of the paintings of Rene Magritte and surrealism more generally.
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Read in May, 2009
I loved this alphabet book. I had fun trying to see if I could guess what was happening to each letter. The A was in an avalanche. The B was badly bitten, etc.
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03/11/09
Paige Albright Vanderpool
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ABC: You have to be very observant becauue the statement is on the page after the picture. Guess what verb they use based on the picture. Gets you thinking.
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Read in February, 2009
in theater format, each letter is showcased with a unique verb of the same letter. clever and mysterious.
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Read in June, 2009
I enjoyed this unique take on the alphabet, and I thought the black and white illustrations were very clever!
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This is a good one for a quick mini-lesson on word choice. Plus, I'm always amazed by Van Allsburg's art.
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I thought the pictures were very well done. I liked trying to guess what the words would be by the picture.
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This alphabet book shows each letter of the alphabet doing an action on a stage that starts with the letter being described. The illustrations are amazing, as usual with Van Allsburg. The only thing I didn't like very much was the fact that the description of the letter and action was on the back of the picture it was describing instead of next to the picture being described, so I had to flip back and forth a lot to get the full effect of the pictures and the descriptions.
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You'll want the hardback version of this book as you will open and read it so very often. While I can't really imagine learning the alphabet as a child from this work, the art is good enough and the chipper nature of the otherwise fatal oucomes are such that Child Protective Services might well just give you a pass. The book is highly enjoyable and the artwork inspired.
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Read in November, 2007
recommends it for:
Grades 4-6
I enjoyed this book but thought it was a little strange. This is a very high level alphabet book. It has a very high content level and great illustrations. I think upper elementary level readers would love this book because the language is great and the pictures are captivating. It would be a fun book to read during a writing unit to talk about strong verbs and word choice.
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Read in September, 2008
It's fun but it is SO OBNOXIOUS that the words on the page don't go with the picture on the page next to it. You know? Strange. My kids were confused. I read the part about A for instance and they would say, "but that's a B!"
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Read in August, 2008
Mommy says: This alphabet book is not quite disturbing, not quite dark, but definitely one of the quirkiest alphabet books you'll read. What else would you expect from Chris van Allsburg?!
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Read in October, 2007
recommends it for:
k-2nd
alphabet book
black and white
words on the next page after the picture- gives you a chance to guess the vocab that will be used next
clean illistrations
looks like pencil sketch
black and white
words on the next page after the picture- gives you a chance to guess the vocab that will be used next
clean illistrations
looks like pencil sketch
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