IAN PENNEY'S ABC

by Ian Penney ‧ RELEASE DATE: Nov. 1, 1998

Each page of Penney's alphabet resembles a piece of stained glass, not in the precious sense, but in its composition and light. The letters are framed within a border of the alphabet, and the illustrations within are whimsical, typically English takes on the countryside: half-timber structures, castles, walled gardens, villages, royalty. Letters are shown in both upper and lower case, e.g., U is for umbrella, but other objects that take u as the first letter also appear in the scene--underground, urn, and might that be an undertaker? Each vignette is a treasure for children to mine for surprise components, occurrences, and details, many of which play upon the setting--the tiny witch wafting past the windmill and a spider spinning a web--selected by Penney from locales that have been preserved in England, Ireland, and Wales by the National Trust. Elegant and illuminating.

Pub Date: Nov. 1, 1998

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: 32

Publisher: Abrams

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 1998

Categories: CHILDREN'S