Bruno Munari's ABC [Hardcover]

Bruno Munari (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 3 and up | Grade Level: P and up

In this imaginative ABC, acclaimed artist, designer and children's author, Bruno Munari shows how fun letters can be. From an Ant on an Apple to a Blue Butterfly to a Cat in a Cage, Munari pairs words in whimsical ways until Fly frees itself from its page, lands on the Hat, buzzes near the Ice Cream and provides the final sound for Zzzzz.

Editorial Reviews

Review

With so many alphabet books crowding bookstore shelves, what makes this 1960 reissue a standout? It's as simple as, well, ABC -- specifically, ABC's made kid-friendly by chunky black letters and clean-lined watercolors. Note the whimsical touches by Munari, a renowned graphic designer: A 'Vertical Violet Violin' spotlights the letter V, while a pesky fly buzzes from page to page until the book's conclusion, when it becomes 'a fly going Zzzz.' -Child Magazine

"[G]lorious....The crisp, clean lines make this a visual treat even for the very young..." The Horn Book Magazine

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 3 and up
  
• Hardcover: 48 pages
• Publisher: Chronicle Books; 6th edition (March 16, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0811854639
• ISBN-13: 978-0811854634
• Product Dimensions: 11.8 x 8.8 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #175,237 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Next time won't you sing with me, November 28, 2004

By 

E. R. Bird "Ramseelbird" (Manhattan, NY) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Bruno Munari's ABC 03 edition (Hardcover)

Alphabet books remain the bane of children's librarians worldwide. Tons of these puppies come out every year. Sometimes they appeal to only certain demographics (like the racecar alphabet books, for example). Sometimes they're incredibly hip and modern and hold zippo interest for the children that they are (supposedly) intended for. Sometimes they're deathly dull affairs that offer nothing new or brilliant and sometimes they're so packed with brilliance that it's difficult to remember what the book's initial importance was in the first place. Step back in time then and view the 1960 creation, "Bruno Munari's ABC". Created by an author/illustrator that, "began his career by exhibiting with the second Futurist movement" in Italy (or so his bookflap says), Munari was an excellent graphic designer in his day. And he gave the world this ABC book, one that remains so incredibly popular that it has appeared on the New York Public Library's "100 Pictur Books Everyone Should Know" for 2004. It's a thick sturdy affair, with pages that would take more than the mere strength of toddlers to tear. More importantly, in spite of its very basic design and concept (showing objects that begin with each letter presented) it remains beautiful to look at and interesting to read.

Your first image in this book is of a luscious orange/red apple sitting in a white space. On its stem crawls a realistically rendered black ant with the only words on the page, "an Ant on an Apple". Then you turn the page to a full double spread of a brilliant Blue Butterfly. It's a deep royal blue, but of a shade that brings to mind deep pockets of the ocean and long shadows late in the day. Munari uses watercolors to their fullest in this book. A careful reading through each page displays objects on white with simple words and recognizable objects. To my mind, the only object here that struck me as a little out of date was the rendering of an old rotary-dial telephone. And in any case I sincerely doubt that your kids will find it unrecognizable. Munari has also included in this book a small fly that breaks out of its own F page to buzz into other interesting shots. There is a mild understated commentary that remarks on this. When, for example, the fly alights on a pink ribboned hat that may soon be crushed by a hammer, the commentary gasps, "look out, fly!".

It's the range of colors in this book that really let it stand out though. Whether you're viewing a purple violin, the pink flesh of a watermelon, the brown of an owl, or the green of a leaf, the book is a visual cacophony of shades and images. There's something about Munari's sparse style that continues to appeal, even to this day. If you want alphabet books that blow you away with their wit and wonder, they exist I assure you. There are probably tons of them out there that seek to impress far more than this creation. But if you want something classic and classy that teaches the alphabet without distracting or obliterating its original message (which is to say, teaching the alphabet in the first place) then "Bruno Munari's ABC" should be a first choice.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Gorgeous book, my 1 year old son adores it, June 23, 2010

By 

Burkly - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Bruno Munari's ABC (Hardcover)

This is a beautiful, unusual children's book (as the other reviewer details). My son loves it, though he isn't allowed to read it on his own... I hope to preserve it for future generations...

5.0 out of 5 stars Still a favorite, September 30, 2011

By 

Danielle E. Horton (Louisville, KY United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Bruno Munari's ABC (Hardcover)

Beautiful illustrations! We read this one often. My toddler is still intrigued with this one after a year of reading it she requests "ABC"!