ABC - William Wegman

Twenty-six stunning black-and-white photographs that feature the artist's irresistible weimaraner dogs forming the letters of the alphabet are accompanied by color portraits of Fay, Ray, Battina, and their friends illustrating a word beginning with that letter.

Grade 2 Up-Wegman's Weimaraners are back, this time in a concept book rather than a fairy tale. Small black-and-white photographs of dogs lying together to approximate the shape of each letter of the alphabet face full-page, full-color photos of one or more dogs posing to illustrate a concept starting with the corresponding letter. As an alphabet book for youngsters, this title is almost useless. There are no clear representations of the letters to develop visual identification. The photographs are unnerving, particularly the shared tongue kiss and the eerie "rooster," a dog entirely encased in a long red sack. Questions about the treatment of the dogs seem almost inevitable from children who own or long for pets. Perhaps the unusual photographs hold some appeal for adult aficionados, but collections for children should be stocked with the multitude of better alphabet books.
Kathy Piehl, Mankato State University, MN
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

The wizard of weimaraners outdoes himself in posing his graceful canines to illustrate A through Z. The four members of a weimaraner squad, positioned on a colorless ground and photographed from above, form the shape of each letter. Below, a caption enlivened by alliteration or other wordplay includes a key word spelled out in the weimaraner-made letters (the copyright page drolly identifies this makeshift "typeface" as "60-point Weimaraner"). Full-page color photos face each letter: for instance, the "G" page reads, "Fay is glamorous in her gorgeous gloves and gown"; opposite, weimaraner Fay Ray is seen decked out in a strapless dress. The captions are clever, but the photographs are no less than superb, demonstrating the range of Wegman's wit and technical excellence. The illustration for Q, for example, shows Fay in a crown and an elaborately trimmed robe "standing" upright beside a throne, against a background of deepest ruby. The campy overtones of Little Red Riding Hood and Cinderella have vanished, ceding the field to unfettered, non-narrative fun. All ages.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Gr. 5-9. If you thought Little Red Riding Hood was unusual, wait till you see Wegman's latest picture book of doggy dramatics. It's the alphabet he's on to now, but a primer for children this book is not. As you might expect, the photographs are quite bizarre--weimaraners decked out in all manner of costumes. All are quite clear, however, and the pictures of the letters, which Wegman's fashioned by carefully grouping his dogs, are generally recognizable. The text is the most problematic, at least as far as children are concerned. Many of the words and concepts used to reinforce the letters--queasy and jester, for example--aren't part of a preschooler's world, and Wegman's brand of "comedy" is way beyond young children. It may be middle-graders, younger teens, and reluctant readers who'll flip through these photos (they'll probably ignore the text). If they have a quirky, offbeat sense of humor, they might just have a few laughs. Stephanie Zvirin