Alphablock (An Abrams Block Book)

by Christopher Franceschelli, Peski Studio (Illustrator)

Overview

With thick pages cut into the shape of each letter, children and parents will enjoy this peek-through guessing game around the letterform itself. Sprinkles, hot fudge, and cherries hint at I’s ice cream sundae, while aquarium accessories hint at F’s fish. As readers interact with the pages, they will familiarize themselves not only with the 26 letters and associated words, but also with each letter’s physicality—angles, holes, and curves, both front and back. With Peskimo’s animated, stylish visuals, this fresh ABC book encourages readers to manipulate the alphabet in a whole new way. Note: illustrations have a retro feel, with imperfect variations in color and texture.

Also available: A BOX OF BLOCKS, featuring Alphablock, Countablock, and Dinoblock.

Praise for Alphablock
STARRED REVIEW
"All the parts together make an appealing and fun way for youngsters to interact with the alphabet, and for slightly older children to enjoy the clever artwork."
—School Library Journal, starred review

"The straightforward vocabulary, cheery vintage-style graphics, and neat incorporation of cut-out letters make for a sharply designed package."
—Publishers Weekly

"With a pleasing, retro feel, Peskimo’s art uses bold colors in a slightly muted hue and the weathered look of woodblock prints… A visually captivating delight for careful little ones."
—Kirkus Reviews

"While it’s graphically sophisticated enough to please adults, little children can happily flip through this book on their own."
—The New York Times

"The baby, toddler or nursery-schooler who tears the gift wrapping off Christopher Franceschelli's Alphablock may think that she has just opened a toy, for how lively and tactile the thing in her hands will be."
—The Wall Street Journal

Awards
Parents 10 Best Children’s Books of 2013
Notable Children's Books from ALSC 2014

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781419709364
Publisher:	ABRAMS
Publication date:	08/06/2013
Series:	Abrams Block Book Series
Pages:	104
Sales rank:	92,140
Product dimensions:	5.70(w) x 6.90(h) x 2.10(d)
Age Range:	1 - 4 Years

About the Author

Christopher Franceschelli is a long-time publisher, editor, and creator of children’s books. He lives with his family in Brooklyn. David Partington is an illustrator based in Bristol, UK. His influences range from mid-century design to Saturday morning cartoons. As part of Peski Studio (formerly Peskimo) he enjoys screen printing, a process which often informs his approach to illustration. David’s work can be seen in kids’ books, food packaging, and jumbo floor puzzles around the world. He especially enjoys creating characters, drawing friendly robots, and sending them on incredible adventures.

Editorial Reviews

While it's graphically sophisticated enough to please adults, little children can happily flip through this book on their own.

The New York Times - Sarah Harrison Smith

Every letter gets a full two spreads in this chunky abecedarian, in which die-cut versions of the letters serve as alternating pages. Franceschelli uses the familiar “A is for...” construction, and the spreads provide visual clues about the conclusions to each sentence. On the D page, the tail end of a dog can be seen through the open center of a red capital D; turning the page reveals the dog in full, as it happily tracks muddy paw prints through a retro-chic room with checkered floor. The straightforward vocabulary, cheery vintage-style graphics, and neat incorporation of cut-out letters make for a sharply designed package. Ages 1–4. (Aug.)

Publishers Weekly

★ 10/01/2013
K-Gr 1—A high-concept alphabet book with appealing, retro-style illustrations. A pair of spreads is devoted to each letter. The recto is cut into the shape of an uppercase letter. Flip it and a new spread displays an item that starts with the given letter. Around the angles, holes, and curves of the letter readers get a peek of the image on the following page. Tracks and a puff of smoke hint at a train for letter "T," balls and a hand are the clues for "J is for juggler." Readers turn the page for the full image. Objects in the illustrations interact with the letter form in clever ways, such as an octopus's tentacle wrapping over the arc of the "O." Most of the featured items will be familiar to young readers. All the parts together make an appealing and fun way for youngsters to interact with the alphabet, and for slightly older children to enjoy the clever artwork.—Amelia Jenkins, Juneau Public Library, AK

School Library Journal

2013-08-14
In this ABC book, shaped pages lead readers to corresponding objects. The usual alphabet objects are presented here in the straightforward text: "A IS FOR... // APPLE." The graphically appealing design devotes two double-page spreads to each letter. In the first spread, the right-hand side is a full-size, die-cut letter, while the left depicts a scene. A portion of the object, animal or person the featured letter stands for peeks through the die-cut openings; a cheery, red octopus smiles through the hole of the "O," and the tail of a fish is visible from behind the "F." Once the letter/page is turned, the background from the previous left-hand page blends seamlessly with the full double-page spread that's revealed. The visual hints provide a playful guessing game for young readers, with a nice balance of the easily recognizable (the nose of a train emerges from behind the "T") to the slightly more challenging (the handle of a pair of scissors sticks out from the middle of the "S"). With a pleasing, retro feel, Peskimo's art uses bold colors in a slightly muted hue and the weathered look of woodblock prints. The book's construction is the only real concern, as 104 board pages are a lot for any binding. Will the die-cut letters survive the vigorous page turns of doubtless eager readers? While the likely answer is no, this offering is still a visually captivating delight for careful little ones. (Board book. 2-4)

Kirkus Reviews