Animalia (Picture Puffins) [Paperback]

Graeme Base (Author)

Book Description

Release date: October 1, 1996 | Age Range: 3 and up | Series: 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.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

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 --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Publishers Weekly

PW called this intricately detailed, oversized alphabet book "a delightful visual feast," praising Base's "meticulous" and "far-reaching" artistry. All ages.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Age Range: 3 and up
  
• Paperback: 32 pages
• Publisher: Puffin; Reprint edition (October 1, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0140559965
• ISBN-13: 978-0140559965
• Product Dimensions: 12.9 x 9.2 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (129 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #15,176 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Graeme Base is one of the world's leading creators of picture books. His alphabet book, Animalia, received international acclaim when it was first published in 1986 and has sold more than two million copies. Graeme lives in Melbourne, Australia.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

54 of 55 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the Most Amazing Sights in books October 11, 2000

By Callie

Format:Hardcover

"Animalia" is an illustrated book that brings you into a magical fantasy land full of animals. It features brilliant pictures of cats, birds, mice, unicorns and all sorts of animals. Each creature acts out interesting activities with gorgeous backgrounds. I am now sixteen, but I remember when the book recently came out, some six or seven years ago and I was amazed by the many sights of this book. Every page has "tongue twisters" for the letters of the alphebet, such as "Crafty Crimson Cats Carefully Catchting Crusty Crayfish" and "Lazy Lions Lounging In The Local Library". The pages also have pictures of many things that start with the letters. The lions look at books titled "Lassie Come Home", "Let's Learn Latin", and "Life In Louxembourg". The cats where charms and sit next to a pond, surrounded by a grand horizan where in the background you see castles and churches. Myself and my brother and sister loved looking for all of the things that started with C. We were also very amazed by the mesmorizing images. These illustrations look very lifelike, in fact, they look very much like the wonderful scenes children see in dreams. Reading this book with your kids is like walking through a great fantasy adventure in an animal world. It also serves as an excellent method to teach the alphebet to children. You will always enjoy reading this book with your kids and your kids will also enjoy reading and looking at the book by themselves.

30 of 31 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Archly Amazing Animal Alphabet Advances Art Appreciation! June 19, 2006

By Emily Dalton-Bryner

Format:Hardcover

I found this book in a thrift store and was instantly mesmerized. The art is of the absolute highest caliber. Base is beyond gifted. These paintings are an ideal merger of realism and fantasy with lush, highly saturated color and deep, contrasty depth. I imagine this book could inspire any kid with a creative bent a great deal more than several trips to an art museum. I've bought copies to give to fellow artist/philosopher friends whether or not they've got kids. (We don't as yet, but we're working on it, and have beloved nieces and a nephew).

Now let me say this: I am glad I found this in a store rather than on Amazon. Given the reviews, I probably would have been wary of it, and skipped it. I don't approve of saturating toddlers minds with violence and certainly not black magic! But I'm not at all opposed to gentle fantasy. To me, this stuff is really sweet. It's not cutesy, but even the monsters look friendly and villains rather un-scary. Bombastic and over-the-top? Yes. Scary? No.

The dragons on the "D" page are eating "delicacies" -- dates and donuts, to be exact. There's not a flame in sight, their talons are nowhere near any people or animals, and they are smiling. It's a bright, sunny page with a blue sky (as in Daytime).

The little tiny monochromatic Frankenstein on the F page is also smiling and looking rather silly if you can even detect him in the foliage. On this same page, there is a Christian fish. (And on the A page, there's an angel, and a church or cathedral on the C page; on the H page there's a hymnal, along with a nun on the N page).

The infamous K page has the distinct look of a 1930's pulp fiction crime novel cover, right down to the art deco display typeface. There's even a carful of comical British police waving nightsticks.... The kidnappers look conspicuously like disgruntled members of the IRA with their green plaids and golf hats. The wooden guns are NOT aimed AT Kitty Koala, but PAST her at whatever unseen interlopers might threaten their holding her for ransom. And SHE is dressed to the nines in diamonds and pearls and satin, with red lipstick like a thirties debutante. And she's got a Kit-kat and keys poking out of her sequined handbag. This is so "dark and disturbing"? Come ON!

Yep, there are a lot of mythological creatures, but none that don't show up regularly in the vernacular and even in Disney movies. And there are just as many Christian symbols (see above). And yes, I also found one tiny swastika (after much searching). But the Star of David appears at least as many times, more obviously, and there is a prominent Peace Parade on the P page with the Pope near the head of the crowd (along with a pirate, a policeman, a politician, a pregnant lady, and others). If anything, Graeme Base's political agenda is to be more accepting and inclusive. Everybody gets fair representation here. And by making the characters animals rather than people, he totally skips over the issue of race. Animals don't have "race." They just are. This book is an excellent overall cultural primer, probably educational no matter what your age.

I rush to reccommend it without remote reservations. Read more ›

27 of 28 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent! April 27, 2000

By Andrew Harbick

Format:Hardcover

I bought this for my son, but it turns out I enjoy it far more than him ;) The back of the book says something like "any child that doesn't soon own this should rightfully feel that their education has been shamefully neglected." An apt description! Every page is PACKED with detail. Each page represents a letter of the alphabet, and everything on that page starts with the letter. There are things hidden in shadows, and things that are in plain view. You'll get stuck if you open this book. So plan some time to use it, bring your observation hat and thesaurus, and have a blast.

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars An amazing picture book by Graeme Base! October 17, 2002

By Priscilla Stafford

Format:Hardcover

I remember distinctly the day on which I received this book as a present, along with another Graeme Base book "The Eleventh Hour". Being young, I was immediately fascinated by just looking at the front cover of "Animalia". And who wouldn't be fascinated with the beautiful artwork blossoming with abounding color? And I must say I just fell in love with the book!

"Within the pages of this book
You may discover, if you look
Beyond the spell of written words,
A hidden land of beasts and birds.

For many things are 'of a kind',
And those with keenest eyes will find
A thousand things, or maybe more -
It's up to your to keep the score.

Just by reading this poem (found in the very beginning of the book, the first two stanzas) you can tell what the book contains. "Animalia" is a picture book of A-Z, showing animals from Alligators to Zebras. And not your average alphabet book this is, each picture contains quite a number of things starting from the letter of each alphabet. And you also get quite a tongue twister for every letter. For example, I would never have imagined making a good tongue twister with the letter 'X' but Graeme uses a very unique technique (nice choice of words, huh?) to make an 'X' tongue twister.

And of course, the pictures and the quality in which they are written in is what makes Graeme Base's books so much more fun to read! Visually stunning, "Animalia" is pleasurable to the eye, I especially love the beautiful picture of the 'lazy lions lounging in the local library', reading books such as 'Lassie', 'Let's Learn Latin', 'and more. If you haven't had a chance to read or even peruse a Graeme Base book, I strongly recommend you do! Terrific for both young children and adults, I'm sure the books will satisfy!