A Is for Art: An Abstract Alphabet [Hardcover]

Stephen T. Johnson (Author, Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 9, 2008 | Age Level: 5 and up

A is for Art: An Abstract Alphabet is a remarkable journey of discovery about art and language through painting, collage, and sculpture by Caldecott Honor artist Stephen T. Johnson. With literal renderings of each letter, complete with witty titles and playful, alliterative captions, Johnson's abstract art forges connections between words, objects, and ideas.

Can you find the hidden letters? Look closely and you will see a letter C made of colorful candy, a letter H hidden in a hook, and an S in a soft shadow. From A to Z, each stunning, original work of art will stimulate the imagination and creativity of children and adults alike.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 3 Up—This exciting alphabetic compendium began with a dictionary. Following years of study and work as a realistic painter, Johnson found himself wanting to explore abstract art. He started by collecting words for each letter of the alphabet. Then, he created a piece based on their meanings. For example, the caption for Dotty Diptych reads "Densely distributed dominoes, divided by dark and light dots on dual panels, disappear under drips of dramatically dashed paint dribbling downwards." Inside the white border of the page is the vivid reproduction of two wooden panels covered in dominoes. As with each of the 26 works of art, there is more to be discovered. Here, yellow and white paint covers some of the dominoes, transforming everyday game pieces into dimpled bricks. Also, Johnson has hidden a letter of the alphabet in most of his creations. The works vary from paintings and collages to sculptures to installations, and an index reveals the locations of the hidden letters as well as dimensions and materials for the pieces. Children will enjoy seeing everyday objects like candy used in his creations, and will no doubt be inspired to come up with some abstract art of their own. This book may easily spark discussions about what can be used to make art and who decides what it is. In an author's note, Johnson shares his thoughts on this matter. For more inspiration, see Joyce Raimondo's What's the Big Idea? Activities and Adventures in Abstract Art (Watson-Guptill, 2008).—Lisa Glasscock, Columbine Public Library, Littleton, CO
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Review

"The artist creates a marvelously complex alphabet book that doubles as a trip to an art museum and a stint at a coffeee house poetry reading. Readers and listeners of all ages will enjoy seeing the original art and hearing the wordplay of each letter...An index provides details of the artist's works and shows us where the hidden letters are."-- Connie Goldsmith, CALIFORNIA KIDS! Family Fun Guide

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 5 and up
  
• Hardcover: 40 pages
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books; First Printing edition (September 9, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0689863012
• ISBN-13: 978-0689863011
• Product Dimensions: 12.1 x 9.1 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (34 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #569,611 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A fun intro to the avant and abstract side of letters, September 25, 2008

By 

S. Potter - See all my reviews
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This review is from: A Is for Art: An Abstract Alphabet (Hardcover)

(What's this?)

My kids, aged six and under, love this book. We take our time reading it so they can spot all the hidden letters and try to figure out the art. Because the works depicted are so different, so full of colors, and so much fun to look at the kids enjoy it every time the open it. While the typical alphabet book usually bores both adults and kids, A is For Art is the opposite of boring.

Indeed, each time I look at a page, I notice something new somewhere and so do my kids. The text, too, is well done. By the end of each paragraph there will be no way your child will not know the sound the illustrated letter makes. While this book is a far cry from a classically illustrated children's book it is just the antidote for the routine.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars This is NOT your preschoolers' alphabet book..., October 12, 2008

By 

Amber Gin (Oceanside, California USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: A Is for Art: An Abstract Alphabet (Hardcover)

(What's this?)

This book is for artists and people who truly appreciate abstract art. Unless you spend a bit of time really understanding what went into the creation of each eye-catching page, you'll be through with it in a jiff and onto the next book without a backwards glance.

My son was not intrigued in the least and I couldn't blame him. But going back and recognizing the scope of work that went into the representation of each letter...well, THEN it became remarkable. Seeing the 'R'(titled "Recycled")represented by a collage of Rubber bands on epoxy Resin, for instance, or the 'D' ("Dotty Diptych") illustrated by an amazing compilation of dominoes on wooden panels (80x70 inches!), is pretty impressive when you think about it. I think people who understand, first hand, how such artistic concepts are fleshed out will really enjoy this book - whether they have a child or not. They may want to use it as a coffee table book, in fact. However, I don't think the casual picture book browser will enjoy it as much.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars I Spy meets Dictionary via Artist, September 24, 2008

By 

Bill Nicholas - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Is for Art: An Abstract Alphabet (Hardcover)

(What's this?)

This is one crazy book. It is obvious a lot of thought and work went into making it, but I'm not sure if it's a children's book. If you ever saw an I Spy book, this is something like it in the sense the author encourages the viewer to find hidden letters in the original works of art used for each letter of the alphabet. This is the only reason my 6 and 7 year olds were interested in the book. Many of the words used, however, are of a high reading level. For each letter, a picture of a work of art is used to tie in with words that mostly start with the letter in question. Some of the words describe what you are looking at in a conceptual way ("graduations of green, gray and gold....") while others simply tell you what to look for ("Pancakes. Potato chips. Pencils....."). After reading some of the text, I asked my kids if they knew what I said. They plainly stated "no." Here are some examples: ".....monochromatic magenta mass mimics...." "A visually vertiginous vocalise." "...quartered by quadrants, with quadrilaterals...." I thought maybe, since my kids are really into art, they would be interested in the artwork itself (there's also a detailed description of each piece of work at the end of the book), but they weren't. So, if your kids are into learning the meaning of higher level words, this might be a way to expose them to it. If your kids are into art, maybe this book is a good way to expose them to it (the artwork used is based in many different mediums). Otherwise, it's a high end I Spy book.