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Alphabeasties and Other Amazing Types
Declared a "thrilling spin through the alphabet" by Publishers Weekly (starred review), this first book in Werner Design Werks' award-winning series turns letters into an artistic menagerie of animals—from Alligators to Zebra. It's a dazzling package of language arts, design smarts, humor, and fascinating nonfiction content. It's alpha-mazing!
56 pages, Hardcover
First published July 29, 2009
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174 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 75 reviews
March 29, 2020
"Blocky or small, / thick or tall, / Roundish, slope-y, / Fancy, or dopey, / Letters look different in all different places, / That's because they have different typefaces!"
And so begins the preface to this most unusual alphabet-book, which is really a love-song to typography. Each of the twenty-six "alphabeasties" in Sharon Werner and Sarah Forss' book is made up of letters. The zebra, seen on the front cover, is composed entirely of Zs in "American Typewriter." The hippopotamus is entirely made up of lower and upper case Hs in "Helvetica Rounded." Each letter of the alphabet, in addition to having its own "letter-beast," is shown in a number of different types, with observations on their character: "This lower-case g has a tail that grins." "This r is really straight."
With an appealing color scheme that runs toward blues and greens (although an occasional red does slip through), fold-out pages that allow for larger depictions (check out the octopus!), and a playful engagement with the typeface itself, Alphabeasties is another winner from the independent publisher, Blue Apple Books. Although very young children may find the talk of type rather confusing, older children who already know their ABCs can learn a lot from this one! So can their elders, if it comes to that...
And so begins the preface to this most unusual alphabet-book, which is really a love-song to typography. Each of the twenty-six "alphabeasties" in Sharon Werner and Sarah Forss' book is made up of letters. The zebra, seen on the front cover, is composed entirely of Zs in "American Typewriter." The hippopotamus is entirely made up of lower and upper case Hs in "Helvetica Rounded." Each letter of the alphabet, in addition to having its own "letter-beast," is shown in a number of different types, with observations on their character: "This lower-case g has a tail that grins." "This r is really straight."
With an appealing color scheme that runs toward blues and greens (although an occasional red does slip through), fold-out pages that allow for larger depictions (check out the octopus!), and a playful engagement with the typeface itself, Alphabeasties is another winner from the independent publisher, Blue Apple Books. Although very young children may find the talk of type rather confusing, older children who already know their ABCs can learn a lot from this one! So can their elders, if it comes to that...
December 1, 2010
Hooray! I found a Chanukah present for my favorite graphic artist. Just yesterday a student (K) asked me whether the book she was checking out was in cursive. She wanted to say "I CAN READ CURSIVE" but I would have loved to have this book to show her how in books authors use a variety of typeface. My favorite quote was "Even though typefaces might look different, the letter sounds don't change."
Would that this were true in English.
I also loved on the same page the description of using letter to look like the words they spell? I'm sure there is a graphic term for this Alphabetic Onomatopoeia.
Would that this were true in English.
I also loved on the same page the description of using letter to look like the words they spell? I'm sure there is a graphic term for this Alphabetic Onomatopoeia.
September 22, 2020
Don't let the name of Alphabeasties scare you away! The alligator is made of multiple typeface letter A's, for instance.
There is more, too, as for each letter there are several boxes on the page showing other pictures that begin with the letter. There are flaps to lift and pages to unfold to reveal the entire picture, so children will be engaged and be able to interact with this book to their delight. The alligator page unfolds to show how long the alligator is, and the giraffe page unfolds upwards to show its height. Such fun! This book is one that could be read over and over, the best kind of children's book.
There is more, too, as for each letter there are several boxes on the page showing other pictures that begin with the letter. There are flaps to lift and pages to unfold to reveal the entire picture, so children will be engaged and be able to interact with this book to their delight. The alligator page unfolds to show how long the alligator is, and the giraffe page unfolds upwards to show its height. Such fun! This book is one that could be read over and over, the best kind of children's book.
February 21, 2020
This book was such a visual delight! Geared for young school children (K-2), this books tells about the alphabet, using different font and letter styles, pop out/expanded page designs and clever visuals. Each letter is represented by an animal that begins with said letter. The amazing part here is that the animal is made up of that letter. For example, the alligator is made up of various upper case, lower case and varied font styles of the letter A. Additionally, each letter shows different ways it can be viewed in various fonts. It is a visually appealing book and very creative idea to teach letters. The font details were nice as well, because sometimes children can get confused seeing fonts written one way, then typed another and another. So this book shows all the ways one letter can be written. The illustrations made great use of contrast in bright colors versus pastel colors. They also used words to made borders and designs on the pages (words that begin with the expressed letter of course!). The only disadvantage I could see is that the book is jam packed and has a lot going on. For some children, the over-stimulation may be too much and they wouldn't be able to enjoy the book. There is also some fairly small print on some portions, particularly the end-pages, so it is more for show than reading. Overall, I think this book is a great library and classroom resource and would be a great resource in teaching ABCs, animals, fonts and writing styles.
December 19, 2012
This is an amazing alphabet book, where each animal is made up of the first letter of its name. So the alligator is made of upper and lowercase A's and the jaguar all out of J's, etc. The book is full of fold-outs, so the giraffe folds up and down to get really tall, and the octopus tentacles spread all over, and the unicorn is just awesome! (Sadly this is not a book that will survive long at the public library.) I love how easily you can use this book for art projects...I immediately tried to create my own typeface animals. This would make a great gift for parent’s looking for a different sort of alphabet book, and for artists of all ages.
October 25, 2020
At first glance, it may appear that this is an alphabet book made up of animals that are illustrated with lots of the letters that they start with, but it is so much more! "Alphabeasties" is a study in typography, design, and the alphabet. There are flaps to fold out and tiny details to examine. This is a great book for introducing the concept of fonts, and for older alphabet students.
August 5, 2015
didn't read all the way through - but I could spend hours looking over this ... I love alphabet books and fonts .. and this has both!
June 24, 2020
This is not a story book but a look at and ponder and create book -- an informative book about type or fonts. The book presents type fonts in different ways along with using it to create pictures of animals which names start with that letter. I think the most creative was g for giraffe which had fold out pages that contained the long neck and legs of the giraffe standing in blades of grass that are the actual word grass printed over and over in differing fonts and sizes and colors. But my favorite had to be the "P"s that created the beautiful penguins.
NOTES:
1) did you notice the end pages are lots of words beginning with the different letters of the alphabet. The one that first caught my eye was "G" ... G is for grass, G is for gorilla, G is for grave, G is for graffiti, etc
2) Numerous pages have fold-out components that are unique but may not hold up with younger readers -- but then again this book would appeal to more older readers (I think)
3) The pages also include other information and illustrations using the letters as different fonts and sometimes incorporating the letter into the picture itself
ACTIVITY: Use MS Word or similar word processing program and play with the different fonts, notice their name, style.
Pairs well with the popular juvenile fiction stories of Geronimo Stilton and Thea Stilton -- which has different fonts appearing throughout the book to emphasize specific words in the text.
NOTES:
1) did you notice the end pages are lots of words beginning with the different letters of the alphabet. The one that first caught my eye was "G" ... G is for grass, G is for gorilla, G is for grave, G is for graffiti, etc
2) Numerous pages have fold-out components that are unique but may not hold up with younger readers -- but then again this book would appeal to more older readers (I think)
3) The pages also include other information and illustrations using the letters as different fonts and sometimes incorporating the letter into the picture itself
ACTIVITY: Use MS Word or similar word processing program and play with the different fonts, notice their name, style.
Pairs well with the popular juvenile fiction stories of Geronimo Stilton and Thea Stilton -- which has different fonts appearing throughout the book to emphasize specific words in the text.
November 8, 2019
Title: Alphabeasties and Other Amazing Types
Author: Sharon Werner
Awards: Parents Choice Award
Summary: Alphabeasties is a unique approach to learning the alphabet. The book walks the reader through the alphabet with clever illustrations that open the mind of the student to looking at the world with an unanticipated light. A true gem for the kindergarten classroom.
Review / Application:
This would make an excellent Alphabet Book exploration for a Kindergarten group. Mini-Lesson can focus on the fact that some alphabet books can use each letter of the alphabet to draw pictures! This book is a fun way to reinforce letter sounds while engaging the imagination in different ways to illustrate the sounds we hear.
Author: Sharon Werner
Awards: Parents Choice Award
Summary: Alphabeasties is a unique approach to learning the alphabet. The book walks the reader through the alphabet with clever illustrations that open the mind of the student to looking at the world with an unanticipated light. A true gem for the kindergarten classroom.
Review / Application:
This would make an excellent Alphabet Book exploration for a Kindergarten group. Mini-Lesson can focus on the fact that some alphabet books can use each letter of the alphabet to draw pictures! This book is a fun way to reinforce letter sounds while engaging the imagination in different ways to illustrate the sounds we hear.
Read
June 9, 2020This book teaches the alphabet with pictures of different animals that correlate to each letter of the alphabet. Learning the alphabet is the first step in learning to read and the pictures make it very engaging for the child. This book also provides exposure to recognizing print text which is an important part to literacy development.
December 14, 2018
I've been learning graphic design, and I'm just starting to teach my oldest to read, so we thought this book was great! We used it to talk about how letters sometimes look different and also to talk about the sounds that the letters make, but mostly we just enjoyed the cool designs.
April 3, 2024
Delightful with fun, creative use of typography to illustrate animals a to z
helpful with literacy,
understanding of letters & type styles & fonts
young wanna be designers will love this, too.
helpful with literacy,
understanding of letters & type styles & fonts
young wanna be designers will love this, too.
August 30, 2019
A fantastic addition to the ABC book tub. Clever. Unique. Educational.
January 23, 2020
Animals created from letters in different fonts - a fun art project for kids! Also, the authors include encouragement to design your own font and a list of the fonts used.
November 11, 2023
A design tour de force, especially when it breaks out of the page into lovely cutaway pages. It feels very much timeless
February 3, 2024
Upper- and lower-case letters in a variety of fonts are laid out to represent the familiar shapes of animals. Some die-cut fold-out pages add to the fun.
September 17, 2018
I liked this book a lot! Unlike many alphabet picture books, this book is large. Each letter has multiple words and pictures to go along with it. The pictures are unique and vibrant. Each letter has an animal created out of that letter which I thought was really cool!!
July 10, 2017
While the type put into the shapes of animals was clever, I felt the potential for the book was lacking. I had thought that reasoning behind the choices might be stated or explored. Just disappointing.
September 25, 2009
We see a lot of books in our house, but occasionally I buy a book that I just have to share with my kids right away. My kids have seen a lot of ABC books over the years, but they have poured over this for the past two days. It grabs my kindergartner's attention and my 3rd grader's attention, it's so witty and clever.
This was created by graphic designers Sharon Werner and Sarah Forss. Each animal is ingeniously built out of the letter that starts their name, but in multiple typefaces. What a great way to talk about letters and design, with young children and older ones alike. Take a look at the interior art on Flickr. It's worth seeing it!
But open the pages, and more details are on each page. The camel and dog are crafted out of Cs and Ds respectively, but Werner and Forss go further, creating delightful smaller images using the letters. Can you see the little cat at the bottom of the C page, her sleeping body shaped by the C?
They also teach us about different fonts. "An uppercase C and lower case c can be copycats. Some Cs choose to change." Down below, "Some Ss look similar to the number 5. These Ss are sans-serif: no feet or other added strokes."
The details on the pages are also creative concrete poetry forms, where the words form shapes that echo their meanings. On the S page, not only is the sheep created out of Ss, but the shape of scissors is made out of the word scissors.
This book is perfect for preschoolers learning their letters, but it's also wonderful for older children who are interested in design and graphics. It's a gem. Truly an ABC book with zing.
This was created by graphic designers Sharon Werner and Sarah Forss. Each animal is ingeniously built out of the letter that starts their name, but in multiple typefaces. What a great way to talk about letters and design, with young children and older ones alike. Take a look at the interior art on Flickr. It's worth seeing it!
But open the pages, and more details are on each page. The camel and dog are crafted out of Cs and Ds respectively, but Werner and Forss go further, creating delightful smaller images using the letters. Can you see the little cat at the bottom of the C page, her sleeping body shaped by the C?
They also teach us about different fonts. "An uppercase C and lower case c can be copycats. Some Cs choose to change." Down below, "Some Ss look similar to the number 5. These Ss are sans-serif: no feet or other added strokes."
The details on the pages are also creative concrete poetry forms, where the words form shapes that echo their meanings. On the S page, not only is the sheep created out of Ss, but the shape of scissors is made out of the word scissors.
This book is perfect for preschoolers learning their letters, but it's also wonderful for older children who are interested in design and graphics. It's a gem. Truly an ABC book with zing.
August 8, 2011
This is an unusual alphabet book. The focus is on the typography - the fonts themselves more than the letters. Each animal is represented by a collection of the initial letter (e.g. p for penguin, which uses different weights of the letters to good effect) - see the alligator at the top of the book cover for an example. Each letter page also has a few more examples of the letter in different type faces - sometimes just focusing on the font (e.g. "some P's are pleasantly plump, some are pretty, some are pretentious and a problem to read" - each of these phrases accompanies an upper case and lower case letter in a different font), or sometimes in another illustration (e.g. peapod, pirate, and pig).
This is a clever device, but it's not entirely clear who the intended audience is. An older child who is interested in art and graphic design might enjoy it more than the typical alphabet-book-aged kid. The book even acknowledges this - at the end it says that the alphabeasties in this book were originally created for The Type Directors Club, "It's like a a secret club for grown-ups who love typefaces."
This is a clever device, but it's not entirely clear who the intended audience is. An older child who is interested in art and graphic design might enjoy it more than the typical alphabet-book-aged kid. The book even acknowledges this - at the end it says that the alphabeasties in this book were originally created for The Type Directors Club, "It's like a a secret club for grown-ups who love typefaces."
October 22, 2012
Grade: Pre-K through 1st. Topic: Animals
For every letter, a different animal is shown, made up of the first letter of the animals name. There are many new animals in this book that children may not know about. This is a fun way to introduce letters that come in different sizes and shapes.
Letters can look different. When I write my name, it doesn't look the same as it does when you write it, or when my friend writes me a letter. We all have our own handwriting, and their are many different ways a letter can be expressed on a page. Of course, it has to have the same basic shape, but it can vary in height, width, or other elements.
This book is a great way to introduce children to the concept of print, and to strengthen their letter-recognition skills.
For every letter, a different animal is shown, made up of the first letter of the animals name. There are many new animals in this book that children may not know about. This is a fun way to introduce letters that come in different sizes and shapes.
Letters can look different. When I write my name, it doesn't look the same as it does when you write it, or when my friend writes me a letter. We all have our own handwriting, and their are many different ways a letter can be expressed on a page. Of course, it has to have the same basic shape, but it can vary in height, width, or other elements.
This book is a great way to introduce children to the concept of print, and to strengthen their letter-recognition skills.
May 25, 2013
I love the idea of getting kids to think about how to look at all the different ways the printed word can be presented.
Using letters in fonts that characterize the animals they are made up of is a brilliant idea. (Though not quite the first time-see Bembo's Zoo: An Animal ABC book by Roberto de Vicq de Cumptich as another fabulous example of constructing animals with letters and Ross MacDonald's Achoo! Bang! Crash which uses typeface to illustrate words that look how they sound.)
It may also inspire young designers to play with letters and words creatively rather than seeing reading as a "chore". At least I hope it will!
Using letters in fonts that characterize the animals they are made up of is a brilliant idea. (Though not quite the first time-see Bembo's Zoo: An Animal ABC book by Roberto de Vicq de Cumptich as another fabulous example of constructing animals with letters and Ross MacDonald's Achoo! Bang! Crash which uses typeface to illustrate words that look how they sound.)
It may also inspire young designers to play with letters and words creatively rather than seeing reading as a "chore". At least I hope it will!
March 12, 2014
My five-year-old son picked this book out from the library this week. He really likes his alphabet books.
This is such an amazing book. All of the illustrations are created by using the different fonts of the first letter of the name of the animal. Some years ago, I thought I was clever when I used "g"s for the spots of a giraffe, and "j"s for the spots of a jaguar -- I wasn't even close to as clever at this book.
I'm pretty sure my son didn't learn about fonts, or kerning, or other graphic choices. But he did learn that letters can look different depending on the typesetting. And that the letters can form some pretty amazing animals.
This is such an amazing book. All of the illustrations are created by using the different fonts of the first letter of the name of the animal. Some years ago, I thought I was clever when I used "g"s for the spots of a giraffe, and "j"s for the spots of a jaguar -- I wasn't even close to as clever at this book.
I'm pretty sure my son didn't learn about fonts, or kerning, or other graphic choices. But he did learn that letters can look different depending on the typesetting. And that the letters can form some pretty amazing animals.
April 2, 2013
An outstanding book; the idea of two typographers. Their book takes many angles - from a display of different types of type(!), to an A-Z for children, and some others in between. Have a look and become immersed in another world for 30 minutes. There is so much more to this book than initially meets the eye.
Young children will get something from this book, but so will curious adults!
PS Congratulations to Blue Apple Books for making this beautiful book...which I imagine many publishers would not be brave enough to take on because it is not easy to categorise.
Five stars all around.
Young children will get something from this book, but so will curious adults!
PS Congratulations to Blue Apple Books for making this beautiful book...which I imagine many publishers would not be brave enough to take on because it is not easy to categorise.
Five stars all around.
September 23, 2014
Alphabet and Alliteration
I love this book! It presents all the letters to all types of learners. The book is clearly very visual, has some hands-on movement, and the book can be read. This book is probably best to be left out for children to come read on their own time rather than in front of the class. The book presents the letters in many different ways in hopes that the child will understand one of the ways or remember something cool about how to write the letter. I will definitely use this in my classroom!
I love this book! It presents all the letters to all types of learners. The book is clearly very visual, has some hands-on movement, and the book can be read. This book is probably best to be left out for children to come read on their own time rather than in front of the class. The book presents the letters in many different ways in hopes that the child will understand one of the ways or remember something cool about how to write the letter. I will definitely use this in my classroom!
July 19, 2010
Another one that I'll own for the amazing illustrations. The author uses different fonts to create pictures of animals for each letter of the alphabet. One of our favorites was the sheep, that used curly "S" to create the body of the sheep covered in the wool, and a plain, sans serif "S" for the part the part of the body that had been sheered. Beautifully done!
August 11, 2010
Brilliant. Animals made from the first letters of their names, accompanied by examples of different types of type. Favorites: penguins with bold black p's, curvy hippopotamus h's, g's of grapes hanging from vines, and a spotted octopus of o's. Great fun, and a wonderful introduction to the character that different typefaces can lend their letters and words.
October 10, 2011
This is the book to buy any font-nerd friends with kids. Or who are expecting kids. (Or who don't even have any kids but will not shut up about the Helvetica documentary.) The animal pictures made of letters are very cool and some of them are amazing (the unicorn page, for example). It's the perfect font primer for the wee typographer.
December 31, 2012
Amazing! Wide array of typeface that appears in the shape on an animal starting with that letter, plus foldout pages (look for the Octopus), examples of different fonts and faces for each letter illustrating what the face communicates. One of my top ABC books. The experience of this book is so engaging - get it before the fold outs are worn and beaten down by careless readers of every age.
August 21, 2022
Amazing! Alphabet book that discusses the different typefaces and appearances of letters. Has fold out pages and illustrations constructed purely of their beginning letters (such as a bat made out of B's). Also includes the classic alphabet book format of several words that begin with the specific letter on each page (most are animal-oriented). Amazing! Can't wait to buy it.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 75 reviews