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Overview
Alphabet letters of all sorts of shapes and sizes and styles—from blinking neon ones, to unusual old-style graphic ones to rustic hand-painted ones have been photographed and collaged together into an exuberant, eye-popping, letter-and-word-finding tour of the glories of the state fair. Bursting with with bright, bold illustrations of favorite fair elements like dill pickles and Ferris wheels and midway games, here is an alphabet-exploring adventure like no other!
Synopsis
Alphabet letters of all sorts of shapes and sizes and styles—from blinking neon ones, to unusual old-style graphic ones to rustic hand-painted ones have been photographed and collaged together into an exuberant, eye-popping, letter-and-word-finding tour of the glories of the state fair. Bursting with with bright, bold illustrations of favorite fair elements like dill pickles and Ferris wheels and midway games, here is an alphabet-exploring adventure like no other!
Publishers Weekly
Frasier (A Birthday Cake Is No Ordinary Cake) has hold of a terrific idea: find photographic examples of all 26 letters of the alphabet amid the garish typography of state fairs. Many of the letters are studded with light bulbs; others suggest the plumpness of a corn dog, or, like a fast-talking carnival hawker, hold out the promise of an unforgettable experience with extravagant serifs, racy scripts, or jaunty two-tone coloring. Frasier then uses the letters in thematic collages--paired with images of fairgoers, animals, and souvenirs--that celebrate aspects of the fair that begin with each letter. Thus Fs become the seats on a Ferris wheel and Ss stand in for children on a giant wavy slide. Visually, the colorful and cluttered spreads evoke the energy of the fair (particularly a "midway nights" spread against a royal blue sky). However, the letters often feel like confetti, rather than being intrinsic to the scenes. "Yawning" and "Zucchini" are a fairly anticlimactic end to the book, but there's at least a hint of the smells and tastes of funnel cakes and cotton candy to be found. All ages. (June)
Editorials
Publishers Weekly
Frasier (A Birthday Cake Is No Ordinary Cake) has hold of a terrific idea: find photographic examples of all 26 letters of the alphabet amid the garish typography of state fairs. Many of the letters are studded with light bulbs; others suggest the plumpness of a corn dog, or, like a fast-talking carnival hawker, hold out the promise of an unforgettable experience with extravagant serifs, racy scripts, or jaunty two-tone coloring. Frasier then uses the letters in thematic collages--paired with images of fairgoers, animals, and souvenirs--that celebrate aspects of the fair that begin with each letter. Thus Fs become the seats on a Ferris wheel and Ss stand in for children on a giant wavy slide. Visually, the colorful and cluttered spreads evoke the energy of the fair (particularly a "midway nights" spread against a royal blue sky). However, the letters often feel like confetti, rather than being intrinsic to the scenes. "Yawning" and "Zucchini" are a fairly anticlimactic end to the book, but there's at least a hint of the smells and tastes of funnel cakes and cotton candy to be found. All ages. (June)From the Publisher
"This alphabet book is not just about words that begin with the 26 letters; it’s also a graphic display of the myriad fonts found at a fair...the pages seem to sparkle and blink with the bright lights of a midway...As alphabet books go, this one is delightful. As graphic art goes, it’s alive with evocative, almost magical examples. Readers will be delighted with the images of fun and games, rides and blue ribbons, food and prizes."—School Library Journal"Frasier shows that there is a dizzying array of words to be found amid the visual cacophony of the
fairgrounds....The illustrations are eye-catching...In each busy spread, the featured letter appears many times...creating an interactive find-and-seek game as children try to spot and count each one.—Booklist
"Frasier has hold of a terrific idea: find photographic examples of all 26 letters of the alphabet amid the garish typography of state fairs....the colorful and cluttered spreads evoke the energy of the fair."—Publishers Weekly