Wildflower ABC: An Alphabet of Potato Prints [Hardcover]

Diana Pomeroy (Author)

Book Description

Aster, Bluebonnet, Columbine . . . The alphabet blooms in Diana Pomeroy’s striking illustrations, in which intricately carved and appliquéd potato prints become a beautiful bouquet of American wildflowers. Accompanied by a glossary of wildflower facts and blossoms of folklore, this is a perfect choice for nature lovers and for toddlers learning their ABC’s. “Using potato prints, acrylic paints, and appliqué, Pomeroy has created an alphabet of wildflowers not to be missed.”-Kirkus Reviews

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-K. A companion to One Potato (Harcourt, 1996), this lovely creation shows even more artistic accomplishment in its intricately detailed renderings of flowers that often look as though they have been pressed into the pages rather than stamped on them. Pomeroy has evolved the simple potato print of the preschool classroom into a unique art form that is all her own. The fine detail that she includes, her exceptional blends and shadings of color, and the rainbow palette of the borders result in a stunning presentation. Each full-page illustration is printed on a stark white background, the colorful border leaving a half-inch wide white band around it. The flower prints often twine around and over their colored borders, seemingly growing right off the page. The flower name and corresponding letter of the alphabet (capital and lowercase) are shown in large type. The final two pages include brief information about each flower. A book for beginning readers this is not; many of the appellations (some of them scientific names) are difficult to pronounce and will be unfamiliar to most youngsters. Buy the book anyway. Inventive parents and teachers will see it as a stepping-stone to art projects, nature lessons, and folklore. Flower lovers will delight in using it to teach the sounds of the alphabet: "R is for R-R-R-Rudbeckia."?Susan Scheps, Shaker Heights Public Library, OH
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Ages 4^-7. The author-illustrator of One Potato: A Counting Book (1996) follows up with a handsome picture book illustrating wildflowers from A to Z. Each bordered page features one plant; intricate potato cuts are printed on cloth. More familiar plants such as columbine and dandelion give way to the more obscure wally basket and xerophyllum tenax. But the book is less a child's field guide than a series of beguilingly pretty pictures that will warm the coldest winter day with the promise of spring and summer. Two pages of appended notes in small type offer a few lines of information about each plant, including its scientific name, common names, plant family, myths, legends, and lore. Carolyn Phelan

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 40 pages
• Publisher: Harcourt Children's Books; 1st edition (February 1, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0152010416
• ISBN-13: 978-0152010416
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 9.1 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,280,002 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The "GORGEOUS" Book, October 12, 2000

By 

PurpleSquirrel (Massachusetts) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Wildflower ABC: An Alphabet of Potato Prints (Hardcover)

This is an absolutely fabulous ABC book! I checked it out of the library this spring for my 2.9 year old daughter, and she LOVED it, dubbing it the "gorgeous" book! She was so enamoured with it, that she wanted to make a version of it for a friend's 4th birthday, which we did with plain paper and colored pencils. It's one of the books that my daughter wanted to get "that we don't have to bring back".

The potato prints of wildflowers, which illustrate the alphabet are amazing... one would never dream that potatoes could look so good! I love this book, simply for its beauty, and hope you get the chance to appreciate it as well!