Abstract Alphabet

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly

Experienced spellers may well rethink reading in this provocative alphabet, originally published in France as Animaux, which substitutes abstract shapes for familiar letters. At first glance, the book induces curiosity (and possible befuddlement). Rather than the animals promised in the subtitle, each spread seems to offer only a small gray letter in the upper left corner, along with disconnected blobs and flattened geometric forms on a white ground. Gradually, patterns emerge: a blue oval dominates the page marked B, a skinny brown rectangle is first among the shapes on the T page. Six symbols including two blue ovals and one brown rectangle appear in orderly fashion below the letter R; by making the appropriate exchanges, readers can spell "rabbit" and glean the symbols for A and I. Impatient codebreakers can use a lift-the-flap key to the 26 symbols, but persistent players will find that the "animal" clue gives direction and that certain signs appear frequently (e.g., the oblong orange A sign occurs in compositions from "cat" to "quail"). Cox (The Adventures of Archibald the Koala) stencils the shapes, and subtly visible brushstrokes soften the opaque forms. The book has numerous applications: amateur semioticians will ponder the heady concept of an alphabet as a symbolic system; modernists will note how the artfully arranged boomerang and leaf shapes recall Paul Klee and Ilya Bolotowsky's canvases. Generalists, on the other hand, can appreciate a challenging and exceptionally cool-looking game. Ages 6-up. (May) Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.

School Library Journal

Gr 1-4-Each double-page spread of this book features a letter of the alphabet along with a few large, colored abstract shapes. It soon becomes apparent that these shapes stand for letters that together spell out the name of an animal. Breaking the code is relatively easy as a sturdy foldout key shows how to match the shapes with their corresponding letters. The first letter of each word is given, the letter shapes repeat frequently, and most of the words are obvious choices: ape, bear, cat, etc. While tackling these puzzles may be fun for some children, the question remains whether others would be interested in decoding the letters since the selection of animals leaves little room for suspense, surprise, or creativity. The unique appearance might attract attention, but the book has little to offer, except, perhaps, as a starting place for getting youngsters to think about making their own messages or writing their own codes.-Adele Greenlee, Bethel College, St. Paul, MN Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.