ABC USA - Hardcover

Jarrie, Martin

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1402716192 ISBN 13: 9781402716195

Publisher: Union Square Kids, 2005

Synopsis

An American classic is born! Breathtaking folk art-style illustrations that are ageless as well as timeless capture the culture, history, and heritage of the United States--from A to Z. It's a high-quality, exquisite tribute to America.

With beautiful pictures that echo the artistic legacy of generations of American painters, award-winning artist Martin Jarrie has created a unique volume that everyone will cherish. It's suitable for little ones learning their ABCs, slightly older kids who want to find out more about their country's symbols, and grownups who appreciate fine art. Best of all, it truly goes to the heart of the American spirit in all its diversity and depth. Here are treasured landmarks, significant events that shaped the nation's development, and also the flora, fauna, and fun things so dear to our hearts. A is for alligator, and B is for baseball--and the image shows a great big mitt, a player at bat, and a pitcher winding up. G is for the Grand Canyon, portrayed in deep, earthy colors topped by a violet sky. H is for Hollywood, depicted in a witty montage. P features Pilgrims, R has a Rodeo, and U reminds us of the Underground Railroad. At the book's end, two spreads with thumbnail versions of every picture provide additional background information. No other American-themed ABC is its equal.

About this title

Reviews

Kindergarten-Grade 5–Jarrie presents an eclectic array of objects, events, and activities, each of which is somehow representative of American history or culture. With the exception of "Z is for Zydeco," the choices are all fairly traditional: "B is for baseball," "F is for flag," "I is for immigrants," etc. However, the artwork, done in a whimsical folk-art style, is unique. Elongated figures and shapes predominate, and page layouts vary from simple figures taking center stage to collages of images that relate to the chosen idea. Changing background colors keep the eye entertained. A glossary explains the featured choices. This book will have more use as a presentation of artistic style and technique or as a startup for a discussion of American diversity than it will as standard alphabet fare.–Grace Oliff, Ann Blanche Smith School, Hillsdale, NJ
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

K-Gr. 2. Illustrator Jarrie may be French, but his take on the ABCs is purely American. Employing a folk-art style, he highlights one letter of the alphabet per page, illustrating it with a quintessentially U.S. idea and image. B is for baseball, and a glove and ball stand out against a distressed wood background with a pitcher and hitter also decorating the page. On the page for the letter I, immigrants standing at the bow of a boat look out on Ellis Island; the facing page, celebrating J for jazz, has pictures of musicians and a singer. A couple of the choices seem a little off; especially the alligator that represents A, but a key at the back with thumbnail reprints of the art gives a bit of information about the images (the alligator is the official reptile of Florida). Jarrie's figures look like country wood carvings, and he manages to give an amazing amount of depth to simple shapes (a flag curls like a ribbon) and even more to objects with statuesque dimensions such as the cliffs of the Grand Canyon. The deceptively childlike look of the artwork makes this a natural for a young audience. Ilene Cooper
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Edition details

• Publisher: Union Square Kids
• Publication date: 2005
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1402716192
• ISBN 13: 9781402716195
• Binding: Hardcover
• Illustrator: Jarrie Martin
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 32