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A Northern Alphabet
Available now in board book format for the first time, A Northern Alphabet is an early introduction to the letters by way of all things the landscape, the people, and the flora and fauna. From A for anorak and B for bear to Q for quilt and Z for zinc mine, in these pages, children everywhere can experience the color and beauty of northern life. Each letter is accompanied by simple text naming a few of the objects, animals and people depicted in each spectacular painting.
28 pages, Board Book
First published August 1, 1989
About the author
Ted Harrison
9 books1 followerTed Harrison is one of Canada’s most popular artists. His love of the land and people of the Yukon has brought him national acclaim. His distinctive style of painting is both colourful and sophisticated yet retains an innocent charm, and appeals to young and old alike. He lives in Victoria, British Columbia.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
June 27, 2017
This edition of A Northern Alphabet is a board book. It’s a very nice size – 7″ wide, 9″ high (22.9 cm x 17.9 cm) – for little hands.
Ted Harrison (1926-2015) was born in England but when he came to Canada he fell in love with the northern part of the country and stayed for the rest of his life. His paintings changed to capture the beauty of the Yukon and its people, as shown in this book. He was famous for his remarkable bold coloured paintings and in later years he was made a Member of the Order of Canada for his contributions to Canadian culture through his paintings and books.
In A Northern Alphabet, for every letter of the alphabet Mr. Harrison illustrated with paintings from what he saw and experienced around him in the Yukon. His work is simplistic and full of colour, sophisticated and delightful.
Two examples: H h The husky is watching the boys play hockey. N n The northern lights shine in the sky at night. The art illustrating those letters gives readers an education in some of the culture of Canada, as it does throughout the book.
A Northern Alphabet by Ted Harrison is a beautiful book for young children to learn both the alphabet and something about the culture of the Canadian far north. They will love that the renowned artist chose to paint a moose a deep pink, a bear orange, and the sky always in bands of bold colour. They will even learn new words such as anorak, Inuit, muskeg. This is an excellent book to introduce children to art that looks as if it was made just for them, and for anyone who wants to know more about Canada’s north.
Ted Harrison (1926-2015) was born in England but when he came to Canada he fell in love with the northern part of the country and stayed for the rest of his life. His paintings changed to capture the beauty of the Yukon and its people, as shown in this book. He was famous for his remarkable bold coloured paintings and in later years he was made a Member of the Order of Canada for his contributions to Canadian culture through his paintings and books.
In A Northern Alphabet, for every letter of the alphabet Mr. Harrison illustrated with paintings from what he saw and experienced around him in the Yukon. His work is simplistic and full of colour, sophisticated and delightful.
Two examples: H h The husky is watching the boys play hockey. N n The northern lights shine in the sky at night. The art illustrating those letters gives readers an education in some of the culture of Canada, as it does throughout the book.
A Northern Alphabet by Ted Harrison is a beautiful book for young children to learn both the alphabet and something about the culture of the Canadian far north. They will love that the renowned artist chose to paint a moose a deep pink, a bear orange, and the sky always in bands of bold colour. They will even learn new words such as anorak, Inuit, muskeg. This is an excellent book to introduce children to art that looks as if it was made just for them, and for anyone who wants to know more about Canada’s north.
April 10, 2026
Follow a community in Canada’s Yukon through a year, from A to Z!
AGES 2+
A Northern Alphabet is a fun and fresh take on the classic abc book. The illustrations feature lots of bright colours and detailed scenes, and the text itself goes deeper than just a classic alphabet read. Each page has many hidden uses of its letter!
THEMES
ABC Book
Canadian Author
Illustrated by Famous Artist
AGES 2+
A Northern Alphabet is a fun and fresh take on the classic abc book. The illustrations feature lots of bright colours and detailed scenes, and the text itself goes deeper than just a classic alphabet read. Each page has many hidden uses of its letter!
THEMES
ABC Book
Canadian Author
Illustrated by Famous Artist
July 3, 2021
Got to love a good ol’ indigenous Canadian board book
May 13, 2022
This book does an amazing job of depicting the northernmost parts of Canada.
October 22, 2023
I really like the idea of using Ted Harrison's pictures for an alphabet book, but I'm not sure if children will enjoy it as much as adults who appreciate his art.
May 22, 2026
Simple but beautifully illustrated Canadian Arctic-themed alphabet book with fun alliterative sentences.
May 29, 2018
A Northern Alphabet is illustrated and written by Ted Harrison. Harrison also illustrated The Cremation of Sam McGee and The Shooting of Dan McGrew, two poems by Robert Service. A Northern Alphabet provides Canadian examples of the twenty-six letters of alphabet, with Ted Harrison’s classic style.
Read
November 28, 2012Beautifully illustrated, very Canadian, and full of detail (including, at least in my 'older' edition, all the northern communities whose names start with each letter of the alphabet. A bit beyond the grasp of a 3 year old but thill will be enjoyed for a long time.
Read
July 3, 2011Love the illustrations
May 18, 2020
The paper edition is way better!
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews