Synopses & Reviews
Explore the ins and outs of A to Z in an educational setting in this innovative picture book from the Caldecott Honorand#8211;winning creator of andlt;iandgt;Alphabet City andlt;/iandgt;and andlt;iandgt;A Is for Artandlt;/iandgt;.andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Imagine a school. Any school. Be it your school, one from memory, or even a dream school. Then enter and embark on a journey of wonder and delight. Look closely. Thereand#8217;s a letter C in the curve of a globe, a little L in the handle of a pencil sharpener, or at recess, a vibrant yellow V in a geodesic climbing dome.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;Can you find the letters on every page?andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;From inside the classroom to outside on the playground, Caldecott Honor artist and author Stephen T. Johnson renders the ordinary extraordinary with timeless imagery, inviting us to reexamine and rediscover our schools anew, and to find beauty and joy in the most unexpected places.
Review
Though alphabet books have proliferated in the years since Johnson published his Caldecott Honor book andlt;Iandgt;Alphabet Cityandlt;/Iandgt; (Viking, 1999), his concept, which is about looking, not about language, remains distinctive. Twenty years after Johnsonand#8217;s initial foray into the genre, there are still very few alphabet books that are about visual discovery. Each page takes readers to a schoolhouse and asks them to identify the alphabetic shape within the tableaux. A ladder in the library forms an and#8220;A,and#8221; while angled stairwell banisters become a and#8220;K.and#8221; The simple concept showcases the complicated process by which the artist creates his images. Johnsonand#8217;s photorealistic monoprints are essentially a printed painting, digitally enhanced. To children, the illustrations may appear to be photographs. Of course, that is to lose sight of the shared experienceand#8212;Johnsonand#8217;s first seeing (and then painstakingly re-creating), and our looking. The school house context will create immediate opportunity for text extensions; used alongside similar titles with content area focus, Leslie McGuirkand#8217;s andlt;Iandgt;If Rocks Could Sing andlt;/Iandgt;(Tricycle Press, 2011) and Krystina Castellaand#8217;s andlt;Iandgt;Discovering Natureand#8217;s Alphabet andlt;/Iandgt;(Heydey, 2006), this title will inspire young students to learn to look wherever they go. VERDICT A highly recommended title.andlt;Iandgt;and#8211;Lisa Lehmuller, East Providence School District, RIandlt;/Iandgt;
Synopsis
Explore the ins and outs of A to Z in an educational setting in this innovative picture book from the Caldecott Honor winning creator of Alphabet City and A Is for Art.
Imagine a school. Any school. Be it your school, one from memory, or even a dream school. Then enter and embark on a journey of wonder and delight. Look closely. There s a letter C in the curve of a globe, a little L in the handle of a pencil sharpener, or at recess, a vibrant yellow V in a geodesic climbing dome.
Can you find the letters on every page?
From inside the classroom to outside on the playground, Caldecott Honor artist and author Stephen T. Johnson renders the ordinary extraordinary with timeless imagery, inviting us to reexamine and rediscover our schools anew, and to find beauty and joy in the most unexpected places."
About the Author
Stephen T. Johnson is the creator of such well-known childrenandrsquo;s books as the andlt;iandgt;Publishers Weeklyandlt;/iandgt; bestseller andlt;iandgt;My Little Red Toolboxandlt;/iandgt;, the Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Platinum Award winner andlt;iandgt;My Little Yellow Taxiandlt;/iandgt;, the Caldecott Honor and andlt;iandgt;New York Timesandlt;/iandgt; Best Illustrated Book of the Year andlt;iandgt;Alphabet Cityandlt;/iandgt;, and the andlt;iandgt;New York Timesandlt;/iandgt; Best Illustrated and ALA Notable Book andlt;iandgt;A Is for Artandlt;/iandgt;. His drawings and paintings are in numerous private and permanent collections, including the National Portrait Gallery at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC, and a mosaic mural at the DeKalb Avenue subway station in Brooklyn, New York. Johnson and his family live in Lawrence, Kansas. Visit him at StephenJohnsonStudio.com.Stephen T. Johnson is the creator of such well-known childrenandrsquo;s books as the andlt;iandgt;Publishers Weeklyandlt;/iandgt; bestseller andlt;iandgt;My Little Red Toolboxandlt;/iandgt;, the Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Platinum Award winner andlt;iandgt;My Little Yellow Taxiandlt;/iandgt;, the Caldecott Honor and andlt;iandgt;New York Timesandlt;/iandgt; Best Illustrated Book of the Year andlt;iandgt;Alphabet Cityandlt;/iandgt;, and the andlt;iandgt;New York Timesandlt;/iandgt; Best Illustrated and ALA Notable Book andlt;iandgt;A Is for Artandlt;/iandgt;. His drawings and paintings are in numerous private and permanent collections, including the National Portrait Gallery at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC, and a mosaic mural at the DeKalb Avenue subway station in Brooklyn, New York. Johnson and his family live in Lawrence, Kansas. Visit him at StephenJohnsonStudio.com.