Synopsis:
Milton Glaser, the founder of New York magazine, and the creator of the globally recognized I § NY logo, is beloved by art aficionados and design enthusiasts the world over. In this beautifully designed, enchanting book for children of all ages, Milton and Shirley Glaser team up to reintroduce readers to the alphabet. The Alphazeds begins with an empty room, which begins filling up with some extraordinary-looking letters. As each letter appears on the scene, it boldly announces its personality: A is angry all the time; B couldn't be more bashful; and K comes in kicking everyone else out of the way. Will the rambunctious letters ever be able to coexist long enough to work together? Charming and utterly original, The Alphazeds cleverly teaches the alphabet and new words to children, while also introducing them to the art of typography in a fresh and enjoyable way.
From School Library Journal:
Kindergarten-Grade 3--One by one, the letters of the alphabet enter a "big empty yellow room." From "Angry A" to "Zigzag Z," each one is described by an alliterative adjective. Eventually, the space is stuffed with a haphazard horde of loudmouthed letters, and dialogue balloons show their obnoxious comments. Finally, "The noise was terrible. Everyone was screaming at the top of their lungs. Nobody cared about anyone else. They were pushing and shoving and hitting and kicking. It was a disaster...." (The grammar here is a definite disaster.) Then the lone light bulb goes out and a vague voice says, "Let there be light." By the time it is restored, four letters have joined together, and the pretentious text reads, "In the beginning there was the WORD." After this faux finale, Glaser offers a cloying cast list with exasperating entries such as "Yelling Y was last year's youngest Grammy winner for his yodeling version of 'Yesterday.' This Yankee from Yonkers is a graduate of Yale." Underneath, another alphabet introduces a variety of typefaces. This befuddling book is more appropriate for graphics-obsessed grown-ups than for children. Bill Martin, Jr.'s Chicka Chicka Boom Boom (S & S, 1989) offers more bang for the buck.--Bina Williams, Bridgeport Public Library, CT
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