Gone Wild: An Endangered Animal Alphabet

Feast your eyes on these amazing creatures before they disappear. This stampede of wild animals, from Chinese Alligator to Grevy's Zebra, are so rare, they're all endangered. David McLiman's bold and playful illustrations transform each letter into a work of art, graphically rendered with animal characteristics. Scales, horns, even insect wings transform the alphabet into animated life.

Once you take this eye-opening safari, you'll never look at letters or animals with the same way again. A striking work of art and a zoological adventure, Gone Wild is sure to be loved by children and adults alike.

Feast your eyes on these amazing creatures before they disappear. This stampede of wild animals, from Chinese Alligator to Grevy's Zebra, are so rare, they're all endangered. David McLiman's bold and playful illustrations transform each letter into a work of art, graphically rendered with animal characteristics. Scales, horns, even insect wings transform the alphabet into animated life.

Once you take this eye-opening safari, you'll never look at letters or animals with the same way again. A striking work of art and a zoological adventure, Gone Wild is sure to be loved by children and adults alike.

Children's Literature

The author selected animals for his alphabet "because they presented visual opportunities." Basically, he could create the animal's shape from a letter of the alphabet. The result is a delightful mix of imagination and information. The "A" wiggles up and down like the skin of a Chinese alligator, with eyes popping out from the top of the letter. A Madagascar Tree Boa slithers around in the shape of a "B." The top feathers of the Crested Ibis burst out of the top of the letter "I." The "Z" is covered with the stripes of the zebra. Each letter has been created in black on white with ink, brush, Bristol board, and computer. The artwork could be used as a jumping off point for secondary school art students, while the alphabet will be an educational novelty for young children. It could also be used to teach symmetry to children—or even encourage them to create their own letter with an animal shape. Accompanying each letter is a box identifying the animal's habitat, range, threats, and status. It would be helpful to have a world map since many readers will not be able to place the habitats (Northern Patagonia, St. Helena Island). The status names do not follow the familiar "endangered" and "threatened" terms used in the Endangered Species Act, but introduce the word "vulnerable" instead. At the back of the book, there are excellent paragraphs of interesting facts about each animal.

David McLimans has won numerous awards for his editorial illustration, including an Award of Excellence from the Society of Newspaper Designers and a Certificate of Excellence from Print magazine. His work has appeared the Washington Post, AIGA, Time, the New York Times, the Progressive, Atlantic Monthly, and Harper's. This is his first children's book. He lives and works in Madison, Wisconsin.