ABC USA

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
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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
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