Overview
In this spectacular recreation of one of the most beloved alphabet rhymes of all time, New York Times Best Illustrator Gennady Spirin brings to life the delicious and whimsical fortunes of an apple pie—through the alphabet! Look for the tiny butterfly in the picture where B bit it. Find the fox on the page where F fought for it.
Discover hundreds of delightful details in these enchanting pictures each time the book is shared. A timeless celebration of the alphabet, and an incredible work of art by the great artist Gennady Spirin.
Synopsis
In this spectacular recreation of one of the most beloved alphabet rhymesof all time, New York Times Best Illustrator Gennady Spirin brings to life the delicious and whimsical fortunes of an apple pie through the alphabet! Look for the tiny butterfly in the picture where B bit it. Find the fox on the page where F fought for it.
Discover hundreds of delightful details in these enchanting pictures each time the book is shared. A timeless celebration of the alphabet, and an incredible work of art by the great artist Gennady Spirin.
Author Bio: Gennady Spirin was born in the small town of Orekhove-Zuyevo, near Moscow, on December 25, 1948. He graduated from Surikov School of Fine Art at the Academy of Arts in Moscow and Moscow Stroganov Institute of Art. Over the years he developed his own unique style, combining traditional Russian contemporary art technique with the great traditions of the Renaissance. In all of Spirin s work, his sense of design and artistic skill elevate his illustration to the level of fine art, which showcase his fantasy characters in a lovely and lush environment. His watercolor illustrations for children s books have won critical praise and numerous awards for their vision of fairy-tale worlds extensively researched and exquisitely painted. The illustrator of 30 story books, Spirin was awarded the Golden Apple Award at the Bienniale of Illustrations in Bratislava 1983, and has won five gold medals from the Society of Illustrators in New York.
Publishers Weekly
A 17th-century English alphabet rhyme inspires Spirin's illustrations, which take on a distinctly Victorian tone. Set inside or outside English country houses, the full-bleed paintings and silhouette images teem with rosy-cheeked girls in long flowing dresses, bonnets and sashes, and boys clad in knickers. The top of the page contains each letter printed in capital and lowercase, followed by the same letters and a two- or three-word phrase written in elegant, old-fashioned script: "A, a. Apple Pie/ B, b. Bit it./ C, c. Cut it." Underneath the text, an ivory- colored capital letter serves as each illustration's centerpiece. For example, an A forms an arch, under which a crew of beefeaters plus bakers sporting white hats and aprons carry in an enormous golden pie, while women and children (some riding dappled rocking horses) applaud the parade. For "Q, q. Quartered it," the Q's oval acts as a peephole into a room where children cluster around an old woman (who could be Mother Goose) cutting a pie. An apple nestles in the bottom corner of each page, with a rotating cast of creatures whose names begin with that page's letter (e.g., G has a grasshopper, H, a horse). Throughout, the recurring characters' postures and facial expressions convey a longing and reverence for apple pie. Spirin's style is especially well suited to this time-proven rhyme. All ages. (Aug.) Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.