THE ALPHAZEDS

In a symbolic episode that’s more style than substance, the alphabet’s contentious letters congregate in a small room until four get together to form the first W-O-R-D, and give the rest the idea that “It wasn’t simply about expressing themselves or showing off. They could be a part of something bigger….” Iconic designer Glaser draws each oversized letter from a different family of typefaces, Aurora to Zapf Medium Italic; along with the heavily ladled Lesson, his wife supplies each with a distinct personality, revealed in dialogue balloons and a Playbill-style cast list: “Confused C received a Drama Desk Award for his part in Cactus Circus.” Like Roberto de Vicq de Cumptich’s Bembo’s Zoo (2000), this aims over children’s heads, more toward students of design. (Picture book. Adult)