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3rd out of 281 books
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Animalia
by
Graeme Base
Graeme Base's best-selling amazing alliterative alphabet book -- more than 2 million copies in print world-wide
Hardcover, 32 pages
Published
September 15th 1987
by Harry N. Abrams
(first published 1986)
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A splendid ABC book! What I love is that the phrases for each letter are very involved, lots of great words here, no "dumbing-down" for kiddies. Also, while I at first thought there was just a random collection of "misc. images" in the pictures (the animals are the main focus) I soon realized that Base was adding lots of OTHER images with the given letter. For example: Unicorns for "U" is the main focus, but then if you look carefully you can also see umbrellas ...more
An absolutely gorgeous alphabet book, with my favorite ever L page "Lazy Lions Lounging in the Local Library". See how many items you can find that start with the featured letter. C'mon, it's fun!
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Title: Animalia
Author: Graeme Base
Series: no
Other works by Graeme Base: The Eleventh Hour, Enigma, The Jewel Fish of Karnak, Legend of the Golden Snail, Uno's Garden, Jungle Drums, The Waterhole, Truck Dogs, The Worst Band in the Universe, Discovery of Dragons, Sign of the Seahorse
Categories: picture books, alphabet, art, illustrated, animals, alliterative, seek-and-find
Graeme Base has become one of the best-known creators of children's books, and Animalia is his fi...more
Author: Graeme Base
Series: no
Other works by Graeme Base: The Eleventh Hour, Enigma, The Jewel Fish of Karnak, Legend of the Golden Snail, Uno's Garden, Jungle Drums, The Waterhole, Truck Dogs, The Worst Band in the Universe, Discovery of Dragons, Sign of the Seahorse
Categories: picture books, alphabet, art, illustrated, animals, alliterative, seek-and-find
Graeme Base has become one of the best-known creators of children's books, and Animalia is his fi...more
"Animalia" is an illustrated book that brings you into a magical fantasy land full of animals. It features brilliant pictures of cats, birds, mice, unicorns and all sorts of animals. Each creature acts out interesting activities with gorgeous backgrounds. Every page has "tongue twisters" for the letters of the alphebet, such as "Crafty Crimson Cats Carefully Catchting Crusty Crayfish" and "Lazy Lions Lounging In The Local Library". The pages also have pict...more
Graeme Base's astonishingly creative Animalia, the 1993 alphabet book, challenges the standard idea of how long reading a book for small kids ought to take. Animalia, like many of Base's books, is a vast puzzle, built with entrancing pictures that unfold into layers & layers of objects--all matched to each page's corresponding letter. Base leaves us stunned & amazed, painting reflections into the oddest surfaces & driving the urge to page-turn. This wonderful picture book works for 2-year-olds,...more
The option for the ABC book I chose was Animalia by Graeme Base. I thought this book was extremely clever for a way to portray the alphabet. The illustrations were just as great as the text. I liked this book so well just because it was not your standard ABC book it ingeniously gave 5 or 6 other works that also started with the same letter as the letter of the animal. For example with the letter E instead of just saying E is for elephants and showing pictures of elephants Base decides to ...more
This book is definitely not your average ABC book. In fact, I'm sure that if a new reader tried to read it alone they would have a difficult time. But none the less, it is fantastic and I recommend it to everyone. One thing that I love about this book is that with each letter nearly every word on that page begin with the same letter. One of my favorites is the "K" page. It says "Kid Kookaburra and Kelly Kangaroo kidnapping Kitty Koala" and it has a beautiful picture of the ...more
Base, Graeme (1987). Animalia, Harry N. Abrams, New York, NY.
Intert Level: Pre-K +.
Read aloud.
Animalia is a read aloud picture book that presents not ony the alphabet but illutrations that contain many drawings of objects and animals with names beginning with the letter presented on each page. The illustrations are large and colorful, appropriate for group presentation in a classroom. The aliteration and vocabulary to be read reprsenting each letter, is fun to hear and us...more
Intert Level: Pre-K +.
Read aloud.
Animalia is a read aloud picture book that presents not ony the alphabet but illutrations that contain many drawings of objects and animals with names beginning with the letter presented on each page. The illustrations are large and colorful, appropriate for group presentation in a classroom. The aliteration and vocabulary to be read reprsenting each letter, is fun to hear and us...more
Animalia was a very entertaining ABC book with great illustrations and creative words to match each letter. The book was not an easy read for young children because it has an advanced vocabulary for learning the ABC's. This is a book that would need to be read by adults to children so the words can be explained. The letter that I found particulary challening was "V." Even though children would struggle with the vocabulary and need a lot of the words explained to them it can be a great ...more
Elaborate illustrations of animals in fantastical poses and settings accompany alliterative text for the entire alphabet.
The art is insanely detailed and colorful, with each illustration taking up anywhere from half to a whole page. The text is minimal and is artistically worked into the illustrations. While some readers might find the sheer massive amount of things happening in each image a bit overwhelming, others will enjoy finding new details with each read through.
...more
The art is insanely detailed and colorful, with each illustration taking up anywhere from half to a whole page. The text is minimal and is artistically worked into the illustrations. While some readers might find the sheer massive amount of things happening in each image a bit overwhelming, others will enjoy finding new details with each read through.
...more
There's two ways to do an alphabet book. The first is to have each letter firmly illustrated by one - and only one! - item. The second, which is the approach taken in this book, is to have as many items as possible crammed onto each page.
The result is an alphabet book that grows with your kid, because even a grown-up can spend a lot of time quietly poring over the pages of the book to catch one last detail, find one more F word, locate the boy in the striped shirt on every page.
...more
The result is an alphabet book that grows with your kid, because even a grown-up can spend a lot of time quietly poring over the pages of the book to catch one last detail, find one more F word, locate the boy in the striped shirt on every page.
...more
Animalia is book written by Graeme Base;I read this book for one of my abc books. I felt this book was very fun and the art work was very well fairy tale like. Although I like this book as an adult,but as a child could not honestly learn my alphabet from it. Several of the words are very challenging and a tongue twister. For example for the letter I it said: Ingenious , Iguanas, improvising an intricate impromptu on impossibly impractical instruments. Really!! as a child first learning their alp...more
This is an alphabet book that has been around for a long time. I consider it a classic picture book. Beginning readers and more advanced readers can enjoy the colorful, detailed illustrations which include only subjects that correspond with each letter on their own pages. Like an I Spy book, it is fun to identify every subject on the page, large and small that begin with the letter before proceeding. Every word on each page also corresponds with the letter being presented. The words can get som...more
Beautiful beautiful alphabet picture book. Each page has one or two magnificent full color illustrations to go with a letter of the alphabet. On the "A" page, there is "an armoured armadillo avoiding an angry alligator." On the "G" page, there are "great green gorillas growing grapes in a gorgeous glass greenhouse." You get the idea.
Each illustrations also shows many other things starting with the featured letter. Some of the items are up front i...more
Each illustrations also shows many other things starting with the featured letter. Some of the items are up front i...more
i don't usually review kids books on here but this is too good not to leave great feedback for. i picked this up at a market for $2. it's been on my radar for a while as i've always admired the illustrations but as a learning tool this book is outstanding!!! each page is dedicated to a letter of the alphabet along with a tongue twister. but its the magnitude of the illustrations which is most impressive. this is the third night i've read it with my son and we're still finding things on the page ...more
What first caught my eye about this book was obviously its cover. I have always enjoyed books that have a main picture framed by many others. You are able to get an entire different level of the story by examining the smaller pictures. I also like how on the first page you come to when you open the book, the author sends you on a kind of scavenger hunt through the illustrations, causing you to look deeper into each and every picture. The way the book was written, using alliteration, is very crea...more
Yet another great book by Australian born author/illustrator Graeme Base. While "The Eleventh Hour" is a mystery for older children, this is an alliterative alphabet book geared towards younger kids.
Each page is packed full of beautiful, smart, and funny pictures that match their corresponding letter (ie: P stand for "Proud peacocks preening perfect plumage"). I love that this book is full of visual and verbal stimuli (I also like the boy hidden in every page).
...more
Each page is packed full of beautiful, smart, and funny pictures that match their corresponding letter (ie: P stand for "Proud peacocks preening perfect plumage"). I love that this book is full of visual and verbal stimuli (I also like the boy hidden in every page).
...more
One of my favourite books from years ago, I finally picked up a copy for myself the other day. This beautifully - and cleverly - illustrated children's book is just as much fun when you're an adult. Each page or double-page spread conjures a letter of the alphabet with rhyming alliteration and illustrations full of things starting with that letter. We used to have races to find and list as many words as we could from the pictures, and we had a jigsaw puzzle of the Crimson Cats page. Endless fun ...more
Jack Kirby and the X-man
rated it
Easily the best alphabet book ever!
The alliterative text is genius, even the difficult letters are treated with respect, e.g. "Quivering Quails Queuing Quietly for Quills".
Who found Aaron A Aardvark of 8A Acacia Avenue, Adelaide, Australia's Axe hidden in the background behind the 'Armoured Armadillo's and 'Angry Alligator'... This is what is so much fun about this book, the text itself is a quick read, but finding all the objects starting with the requesite l...more
The alliterative text is genius, even the difficult letters are treated with respect, e.g. "Quivering Quails Queuing Quietly for Quills".
Who found Aaron A Aardvark of 8A Acacia Avenue, Adelaide, Australia's Axe hidden in the background behind the 'Armoured Armadillo's and 'Angry Alligator'... This is what is so much fun about this book, the text itself is a quick read, but finding all the objects starting with the requesite l...more
WHAT an exquisite book. I knew I had a masterpiece in my hands as soon as I opened it up.
Graeme Base spent three years illustrating for this book, and you can see why - it is one of the most remarkable picture books of our time.
The book brilliantly illustrates the alphabet, with each page being an 'I-Spy' frenzy... ordinary objects juxtaposed in extraordinary situations. I believe each time you pick up this book, you will find something different on each page that you hadn't seen ...more
Graeme Base spent three years illustrating for this book, and you can see why - it is one of the most remarkable picture books of our time.
The book brilliantly illustrates the alphabet, with each page being an 'I-Spy' frenzy... ordinary objects juxtaposed in extraordinary situations. I believe each time you pick up this book, you will find something different on each page that you hadn't seen ...more
Animalia is a fantastically detailed ABC book, perfect for kids who like puzzles & games. Each spread has rich illustrations along a theme, such as Eight Enormous Elephants Expertly Eating Easter Eggs. But throughout the spread are dozens of items beginning with that letter. A funny and intriguing book. Animalia is the inspriration for a new PBS Kids TV series. For more information, see the PBS Animalia site. My kids love the imagination in this new series, aimed at kids ages 6 - 8.
I think this is probably the best alphabet book ever and if you can only own one, this is the one to own. It is great for younger children because it shows the alphabet with multiple words that start with each letter. It is good for older kids because the pictures are so involved and interesting. There are things that start with each letter hidden on each corresponding page. This book creates so many teachable moments for children across a wide age range.
Kate
rated it
Recommended to Kate by:
Read for Children's Literature portfolio
Shelves:
2007,
age-childrens
Author opens with a short poem challenging readers to find everything that starts with each letter in the pictures, as well as a hint that a drawing of himself might be hidden somewhere in the book. Each letter’s page includes a short phrase using almost all words beginning with that letter (eg “An Armoured Armadillo Avoiding An Angry Alligator”). Beautiful illustrations, though some may be too complex for younger readers.
This is so much more than an alliterative animal alphabet book! Graeme Base packs so much stuff into every illustration, the "A" page isn't merely about an "armored armadillo" avoiding an "angry alligator." Look closely and you'll find dozens of other A-words depicted -- an apple, an alarm clock, an archer, acrobats, and more. Each page is a puzzle in this manner -- the "B" page features "blue butterflies," but if you look at the butterflies' wi...more
Lisa Vegan
rated it
Recommends it for:
anyone who ever thought alphabet books were boring, most 4-8 year old children
This is an amazing book. The illustrations are truly stunning. On the inside back cover it’s mentioned that it took the author over 3 years to create the illustrations for this book and I was not at all surprised. It can take a very long time to read this 32 page book, not because the text takes that long to read, but the illustrations are so profuse that it can take ages to find everything on each page. This can be read by children to themselves but it’s much more fun to read it with one anothe...more
I loved Graeme Base books when I was a kid and I've enjoyed introducing them to my son. This was the first of his that I ever read, about 20 years ago, and there is likely still a copy of it floating around in my mom's house somewhere. I enthusiastically recommend all of his books to parents and people with an appreciation for beautifully illustrated books.
The illustrations in this book are completely amazing! There is a picture for each letter of the alphabet, and it is incredibly detailed with sometimes hundreds of things starting with that letter, sometimes hidden. My family used to play a game with it, opening to a page and all writing down as many things as we could find that start with that letter.
This is great! I love all the pictures and the alliteration. It is all so detailed and well written. I feel like some of the vocabulary is a bit advanced but the pictures explain it all. It would be great for kids to form their own sentences on the pictures or draw pictures based on the sentences. I really enjoyed Animalia.
I sailed the Nostalgia Sea this weekend, revisiting my Graeme Base collection before giving it away. Lovely books, and time for them to be passed on to a new soon-to-be reader. Welcome to the world little Benjamin! I'm happy to be your Auntie. As for this classic Graeme Base alphabet book: far superior to Where's Waldo.
I absolutley love this book!!! The pictures are amazing with the detail and color. I love how creative it is for a alphabet book, it's different from most ABC books. Also, the words used to describe each letter are so descriptive and fun to say. The style, font, illustrations, and words make this book one of my favorites.
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Graeme Rowland Base is a successful Australian author and artist of picture books that have been sold internationally. He is perhaps best known for his second book, Animalia published in 1986, and third book The Eleventh Hour which was released in 1989.
He was born in England but moved to Australia with his family at the age of eight and has lived there ever since. He attended Box Hill High S...more
More about Graeme Base...
He was born in England but moved to Australia with his family at the age of eight and has lived there ever since. He attended Box Hill High S...more
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