Animalia (Picture Puffins)
by Graeme Base
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Book Summary Information
Author: Graeme BaseBrand: Puffin Books
Edition: Mass Market Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 1996-10-01
ISBN: 0140559965
Number of pages: 32
Publisher: Puffin
Product features:
- ISBN13: 9780140559965
- Condition: New
- Notes: BRAND NEW FROM PUBLISHER! 100% Satisfaction Guarantee. Tracking provided on most orders. Buy with Confidence! Millions of books sold!
Book Reviews of Animalia (Picture Puffins)
Book Review: Not my favorite Graeme Base, but still very good
Summary: 4 Stars
Okay, I'll admit it upfront - I don't like ABC books. There's only so much I want to hear about Badly Behaving Baboons Berating Betty Boop and other such alliterative babble. It gets old fast, no matter how creative. I suppose they're necessary to help the young 'uns learn the alphabet and letter sounds, but they're nearly impossible to make enjoyable, at least, in my opinion.
That said, Base's "Animalia" comes perhaps the closest I've seen to an enjoyable ABC book, and he pulls it off like only Graeme Base can do. As I mentioned, I'm not keen on the text, although Base does it as well as anyone, I suppose. But what redeems this book is what sets all Graeme Base books apart - the artwork.
Each page is richly detailed with myriad pictures of things beginning with the appropriate letters. So, for instance, on the first page we not only see "An Armoured Armadillo Avoiding An Angry Alligator", but we also see an abacus, an ace, an asp, an accordion and an ambulance, among other articles.
The great thing about this book (as with all Graeme Base books) is that the child can grow with the book. Even fairly young children will enjoy looking at the beautifully illustrated pages. Children as young as three or four will start to recognize some of the objects in each picture. But some of the pictures are hard to identify and children will be excited to identify more objects as they grow up and learn more about the world. Even adults will find themselves drawn into trying to identify obscure objects. This a book that can be retained and enjoyed for years, unlike books that get discarded after the child is out of the Barney or Dora stage.
Much has been made of the notorius "K" page - "Kid Kookaburra and Kelly Kangaroo kidnapping Kitty Koala. Unless your child is extremely sensitive, I doubt it will bother them too much. My kids (ages 2 and 4) have never been exposed to weapons, so the picture goes right over their heads. By the time they're old enough to understand the picture, they'll be old enough to get a kick out of it. It is, after all, rather cartoonish and far-fetched.
In short, if you must get an ABC book (and if you're a parent, you must), this is probably the best there is. Recommended in spite of myself.
Summary of Animalia (Picture Puffins)
An acclaimed artist presents an imaginative, whimsical journey through the letters of the alphabet in a masterfully illustrated volume that introduces a menagerie of familiar and exotic creatures. Reprint. 200,000 first printing. PW.What's this elaborate illustration? "Horrible Hairy Hogs Hurrying Homewards on Heavily Harnessed Horses," of course. Graeme Base's astonishingly creative oeuvre begins with Animalia, the 1993 alphabet book that challenges the standard idea of how long reading a book for small kids ought to take. Animalia, like many of Base's books, is a vast puzzle, built with entrancing pictures that unfold into layers and layers of objects--all matched to each page's corresponding letter. Base leaves us stunned and amazed, painting reflections into the oddest surfaces and driving the urge to page-turn. This wonderful picture book works for 2-year-olds, 5-year-olds, and adults alike--something few other alphabet books can manage. --Andrew Bartlett
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