The Imaginary Alphabet

Finished September 23

The Imaginary Alphabet by Sylvie Daigneault

This picture book is an absolute delight. It is an alphabet book, an image finding book, a humorous book, and just a delight to read. You can spend hours over it as you search the details and enjoy every aspect of it, or just read it through. Each alphabet letter has an image with an alliterative description that mentions some of the images starting with that letter. For example, the cover image is for F and says "Fancy Ferrets Feeling Famous and Fabulous." There are several unmentioned images in each picture that begin with that letter as well (one example here is frogs) and at the back of the book there are lists of images for each letter. I did, however, find one that wasn't listed and there may be more that I didn't notice (mine was at the letter K). 

This is a book that will delight readers of all ages, provide a fun way to learn, and enlarge your vocabulary. Daigneault has an introduction where she talks about the inspiration and vision for the book, along with how she came to create it. It shows the passion that she has for her work. 

Cat Alphabet

Finished June 10
Cat Alphabet by The Metropolitan Museum of Art

This fun book highlights cats in art using the alphabet as a structure. The cover shows the 'C' entry that they title Copy Cats. It is an image from a Peruvian tunic from the 15th-16th century. I love the depiction of the teeth!
Each letter highlights a piece of art featuring a cat as the subject, and many types, styles, and eras of art are included here.
In time, they range from ancient to present. In format we have lithographs, textiles, paintings in different mediums, statues, drawings, mezzotints, and engravings.
A fun little collection

P is for Pterodactyl

Finished July 15
P Is for Pterodactyl: The Worst Alphabet Book Ever by Raj Haldar and Chris Carpenter, pictures by Maria Tina Beddia

I heard about this book just before Christmas, but couldn't find a copy then. I recently saw it in a bookstore and couldn't resist. The authors had fund collecting a wide variety of words with silent letters or letters that use different sounds than one expects.
The drawings make it even more fun! See the psychic pterodactyl on the cover? That's just one example of the fun inside. Each letter has a little scene, with a phrase telling a story. And there is often more to discover within that scene.
They include a list at the end of the book that gives pronunciation and definitions for the words used here.