Books.org participates in affiliate programs including Bookshop.org and the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. We may earn a commission from qualifying purchases made through links on this page, at no additional cost to you.
Overview
At every turn these letters are full of surprises. Imagine! What other things can you discover hiding in the alphabet?
An alphabet book in which each letter becomes three different objects as the book is turned different directions, as when A becomes a bird's beak, a drippy ice cream cone, and the point of a star.
Synopsis
At every turn these letters are full of surprises. Imagine! What other things can you discover hiding in the alphabet?
Publishers Weekly
Many alphabet books transform the 26 letters into people, places or things; Ernst (Stella Louella's Runaway Book), however, gives the idea a new twist-literally-by asking readers to rotate her exuberant book 360 degrees, to view each letter from four different perspectives. Working with cut paper, Ernst sets each blocky, sans serif, capital letter against a square field of fluorescent color; in the black border that frames the letters, the text encourages readers to examine the image from each of four angles (as it wraps around the page): "C pretends to be/ an angel's halo" (as readers turn the book to view the letter, bright yellow on an orange background, positioned so that its curve points up), "macaroni and cheese" (the upside-down "C") and a hoop earring (when it rests on its curve)." Not all the suggestions are compelling-O, for example, resembles a bagel no matter how one looks at it-and some youngsters may need coaxing to notice the conceits that depend on the interplay between the letter shape and its negative space (a lime-green N turned on its side looks like "two tortilla chips headed for guacamole" because the angled lines of the letter create two triangles from the yellow field). But children who are mastering both letter recognition and the mechanics of book-reading should get a kick out of how Ernst rewards them for tweaking the rules. Ages 3-6. (July) Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.
Editorials
Publishers Weekly
Many alphabet books transform the 26 letters into people, places or things; Ernst (Stella Louella's Runaway Book), however, gives the idea a new twist-literally-by asking readers to rotate her exuberant book 360 degrees, to view each letter from four different perspectives. Working with cut paper, Ernst sets each blocky, sans serif, capital letter against a square field of fluorescent color; in the black border that frames the letters, the text encourages readers to examine the image from each of four angles (as it wraps around the page): "C pretends to be/ an angel's halo" (as readers turn the book to view the letter, bright yellow on an orange background, positioned so that its curve points up), "macaroni and cheese" (the upside-down "C") and a hoop earring (when it rests on its curve)." Not all the suggestions are compelling-O, for example, resembles a bagel no matter how one looks at it-and some youngsters may need coaxing to notice the conceits that depend on the interplay between the letter shape and its negative space (a lime-green N turned on its side looks like "two tortilla chips headed for guacamole" because the angled lines of the letter create two triangles from the yellow field). But children who are mastering both letter recognition and the mechanics of book-reading should get a kick out of how Ernst rewards them for tweaking the rules. Ages 3-6. (July) Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.Children's Literature
J is a monkey's tail, Q is a magnifying glass, and Z is the bend in the yellow brick road? All sorts of crazy things can happen when you look at letters sideways and upside down! This author-illustrated gem fires the imagination and teaches both children and adults alike that not everyone sees things from the same angle. What's more, young learners will delight in approaching the alphabet exclusively from a visual perspective. In an era when teachers recognize a variety of learning styles and strengths, this book should serve as an excellent tool to reach those who are primarily visual learners. 2004, Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, Ages 4 to 8.—Moira Rose Donohue