The Curious Explorer's Illustrated Guide to Exotic Animals A to Z by Marc Martin

Start here with my previous post "Meet the Illustrator Marc Martin".

Now back to The Curious Explorer's Illustrated Guide to Exotic Animals A to Z. Begin with the title - curious - this book is sure to lead children and adults to want to discover more about the, well curious, animals in this huge format book. Illustrated - yes the illustrations are wonderful - each a work of art to linger over. Guide - each animal also has the Latin name and there is a small fact box for each on the final spread. Exotic animals (from around the world) - such as the loris; quetzal; armadillo; ibex; macaw; narwhal; and hippopotamus. There are several Australian animals (Marc Martin is an Australian illustrator) - kangaroo; Tasmanian devil; and yellow-tailed black cockatoo. And A to Z of course adds a layer of organisation to this book which is always appealing especially to a Teacher-Librarian. I previously talked about alphabet books on this video for IBBY Australia. 

Electric Eel and Flamingo

Owl and Quetzal

Bookseller blurb: From armadillo to zebras, chameleons to quetzals, these exotic animals will surprise and delight. No curious explorer should be without Marc Martin's stunning celebration of strange and beautiful creatures from all over the world. Here is a book of wonder, a unique and breathtaking treasure from one of Australia's most outstanding new talents.

The Curious Explorer's Guide to Exotic Animals A to Z was published in 2013 so it might be difficult to buy a new copy but I am certain you will be able to find this book in many school and public libraries. In 2013 this book was included as a Standing Order title from Scholastic (see the teachers notes). If I had room on my own shelves I would love to add a copy of this beautiful book.

So much more than an alphabet book, this delightful children’s picture book shares the inspiration its creator finds in the world around him. Each letter of the alphabet depicts an animal interpreted through graphic design-style illustration. Those are the facts, but the reality is that each individual illustration uses art techniques and lush textures that sets them apart. Just so stories

Today I am heading off to meet Marc Martin. His newest book Dawn will be featured at an event at Gleebooks Kids. Last week I was shelving some books in a library where I am doing some volunteer work and I spied the Curious Explorer's Guide. Here is the cover of his new book Dawn.

When I was a very young child someone gifted me this animal alphabet book published in 1961. This goes part of the way towards explain my fascination with this topic.

Winter: An alphabet acrostic by Steven Schnur illustrated by Leslie Evans

Before you get excited about this book it is from 2002 and so it is long out of print. I was lucky to spy it at a recent charity book sale. In fact I very nearly hid it because it was priced at AUS$4 and I thought it might still be available on Sunday (today) for half price - and YES it was. It seems this book did not appeal to the hundreds of people who were at the fair and who flicked through all the numerous children's book boxes. Lucky me!

Is it too much to combine winter with the alphabet and then also employ that very overused poetry form of the acrostic? No it is not. This book is a delight and it also has linocut style illustrations which are very appealing. At first glance I thought this book might be Candian - they do produce fantastic books in Canada but it is not - Steven Schnur is from the US. I have discovered this book is one from a series one for each season (see below). Leslie Evans is a printmaker and illustrator located in Watertown, Massachusetts. Sea Dog Press is the letterpress studio where she creates her illustration and hand pulled prints.

See more pages inside this book here

Here are some brief teachers notes to use if you do find a copy of Winter: An alphabet acrostic.

Crystals

Of ice as delicate as

Lace ring the

Duck pond

Gusts of wind rattle the windows

As we sit by the fire

Matching puzzle pieces and

Eating popcorn

The acrostics in this book are well written (by an adult) and so fit the subject matter perfectly but I do caution against using this form as the only way to inspire students to write their own poetry.

Take a look at this article from a teacher about moving children on from using acrostics:

As soon as I start talking about their writing this poem, it is usually followed by the question “Can I just write an acrostic poem?” It takes time, energy, effort, strong mentor texts, and exposing students to great poetry to create a classroom of poetry writers who stretch themselves beyond the acrostic poem.

Anno's Alphabet by Mitsumasa Anno

Look at the cover - see how the '?' is made from wood. Under the dust jacket there is a close image of the wood and then the first page has a huge tree. 

Image under the front dust jacket. 

Turn the page and an axe has cut down the tree. Then we see a mechanical device cutting the wood into the shape of a book. You can see the title page below with an open book (made from that same piece of wood). 

As you would expect Anno adds so much to his alphabet book and it is far from simple. Perhaps you have seen his visual tricks in books like Topsy Turvies; Anno's Mysterious Multiplying Jar; and Anno's Upside Downers. The sophistication of those images and the ones in this book make me suggest this alphabet book will probably appeal more to adults or art students.

Now for something surprising. I was quite shocked by the G page. G is for gun and I expected to read some criticism of this, but I didn't find any. It is a pop gun with a cork but the gun does look quite scary to my eye. 

 

Images from Impossible World

I did enjoy the pages with L is for lock; M is for mirror and map; O is for orange oil paint; R is for rocking horse and T is for typewriter. I wonder if Mitsumasa Anno ever actually saw a real Kangaroo. Oh and as with all Alphabet books it is fun to see how they interpret X and Z. 

Handsomely designed and produced, with graceful leafy borders, carefully rendered pictures and, facing them, woodgrain upper case letters that seem to have been lovingly hand carved, this looks like the beautiful sort of book that wins prizes for graphic excellence. And so it is. But you can't expect the creator of Topsy-Turvies (KR, 1970) and Upside-Downers (KR, 1971) to let it go at that, and if you take another look you'll notice the peculiarity of the letters, which resemble, variously, Escher's impossible fork, a partial Mobius strip, and other inconceivable three-dimensional illusions. Kirkus Star review

There's a small street library near my home and I regularly walk past and look inside. I was very surprised to see Anno's Alphabet yesterday. This book was published in 1974 and the copy I found was a 1980 reprint. Amazingly it is in good condition with a dust jacket.

Here is a list of the words used for A to Z:

Mitsumasa Anno (1926 – 2020) was a Japanese illustrator and writer of children's books, known best for picture books with few or no words. He received the international Hans Christian Andersen Medal in 1984. Anno's Alphabet was an ALA Notable Children's Book and received the 1975 Boston Globe-Horn Book Award.

Two years ago Dr Robin Morrow and I explored Alphabet Books as a project for our IBBY Australia members so I am always on the hunt for more examples. You can see our video (13 minutes) here. We were just learning how to make these videos - sorry the name label on the narrator is incorrect. Our latest video for IBBY Australia members explores the topic "One poem in a Picture Book".  I was excited to see Anno's Alphabet was originally purchased from The Children's Bookshop in Beecroft - the shop originally owned by Dr Robin Morrow. It cost AUS$14.95. 

I Spy ABC by Sally Anne Lambert

I picked up this 1992 picture book from a recent charity book sale. I would be very tempted to (sorry if this horrifies you) to cut this book up and laminate the page and then use it in a preschool or with your own child as a fun rainy-day activity.  This is an old book and my copy is only in fair condition so it seems quite okay to treat it this way. I do like the soft-focus almost nostalgic illustrations and the small letter motifs on the bottom of each page. Read about Sally Anne Lambert here. 

Each page is a game of "I spy" with objects to match the letter. It is a little similar to Animalia by Graeme Base but not as sophisticated. And luckily for parents there is a help list on the last page of all the things you need to find on each page.

For example on the  W is for Whiskers on a pussycat's nose - you can also see:

• a wagon
• a weasel
• a wall
• a wheelbarrow
• a witch
• a wishing well
• a waistcoat
• a web
• a watering can
• weeds
• a window
• and a pair of Wellington boots

ice cream, igloo, infant, iguana, Indian costume, imp, island, insects, iron, ink, instruments, icing, ivy

Teddy, trumpet, tassel, table, television, telephone, tankard, turret, train, tortoise, tiger, tent, thimble, trees, toothbrush, toothpaste, tissues, toadstools, truck, telescope

Australian illustrator Louise Pfanner paints gorgeous name paintings using this idea of objects that match letters - each one of her pieces is a sweet discovery. Take a look here to see some of her work. If you have a new baby in the family her work would be a very special gift. 

B is for Baby by Atinuke illustrated by Angela Brooksbank

A big brother is taking a basket of bananas to his Baba (grandfather), but he does not realise the baby has stowed away and is now riding on the back of his bike - no wonder the banana basket is so heavy. The baby peeks out from under the basket lid and sees a butterfly and a beautiful bird. A mischievous baboon takes her basket lid and as they ride past a heavily laden bus the baby passes a banana to one of the passengers. Meanwhile the boy, wearing headphones, has no idea that all of this is happening behind his back. 

When he arrives, Baba reaches into the basket for a banana, and he finds the happy baby with her big smile. Everyone sits down to enjoy a fresh biscuit and a cool drink. The baby has certainly had a terrific adventure. I do enjoy stories which feature tricksters like this sweet baby. Oh, and it is fun to see all the ways this simple story incorporates so many words beginning with the letter B and so much action happens in the illustrations. Your young reading companion is sure to enjoy this visual storytelling. 

This is a clever and unusual book, with beautiful illustrations and a fun story that little children will delight in following. Atinuke’s books are always a feast for senses, showcasing the beauty of the author’s home. Book Trust

Companion book:

Atinuke was born in Nigeria and spent her childhood in both Africa and the UK. As a traditional oral storyteller, drawing upon her recent Yoruba ancestry, she visits schools and theatres all over the world. Atinuke is the author of the bestselling Anna Hibiscus fiction series, as well as the No. 1 Car Spotter series, and the picture books Baby Goes to Market also illustrated by Angela Brooksbank and Hugo illustrated by Birgitta Sif.

Angela Brooksbank worked as a designer and art director in the children's book industry before undertaking an MA at the Cambridge School of Art and turning her hand to her own illustration. Angela says, "I am constantly inspired by children’s energy and unique response to life and hope that my work conveys some of their playful spirit." Baby Goes to Market, written by Atinuke, was her debut picture book.

You might also like to look for:

This week I visited a charity book sale and I found 57 fantastic books for less than AUS$110. Among them was this one - in mint condition - ready to gift to a new baby (she is coming next month). This book was published in 2019 and I found a copy on an online bookseller site for over AUS$40 for the hardcover edition. I think the paperback edition might be available [9781406390872]. 

One Day - a first dictionary by Ann James

 One day I woke up. 
I got dressed.

I ate my breakfast.

I played outside.

Accompanying each of these simple sentences we follow a child through their day - ending with I read a story and I went to bed. On one side of the page we see the family and the activity and on the other are two frames with two letters and four images that can be found in the scene. For example - I ate my breakfast we see an egg in an egg cup, a fruit bowl from their table and two drawings that can be found on the 'fridge. This would be a perfect book to share with a very young child and it is you could revisit often. There is a very special warmth to each of the family scenes and mum and dad have simply perfect expressions which really interpret each event. IF you can find this book from 1989 look at the page where the goat is eating mum's hat and mum's eyes when she is trying to dress the little child early in the morning. The realistic domestic scenes in One Day reminded me of Sunshine by Jan Ormerod. 

I was thrilled to visit Dromkeen last week and even better I was able to purchase an original illustration by Ann James.  I already own a limited edition print of an illustration from It's a Miroocool. Ann James, Mark Wilson, Leigh Hoobs and Gabrielle Wang have works included in an exhibition at Dromkeen.

Along with art to purchase at this exhibition they also had lots of books to buy and so that is where I picked up One Day - a first dictionary which was published, as I said, in 1989 and so I assume is long out of print.

The piece I purchased comes from this book - it is an image intended for the back cover.

Read a review

I do hope the State Library of Victoria have a plan to showcase the original Dromkeen collection which was gifted to the library. It contains 7500 original art works collected by Joyce and Court Oldmeadow. 

In 1973, Dromkeen was purchased by Joyce and Court Oldmeadow, who used the homestead as a private residence and storage centre for their educational bookshop. Before long their love and interest in children’s literature led to the establishment of the Dromkeen Collection, and the house became a home for Australian children’s literature. The Oldmeadows dedicated their lives to preserving the original artwork and manuscripts of Australian children’s literature for public display. Following Court’s death in 1977, Scholastic Australia took over responsibility for maintaining the Collection. Joyce Oldmeadow continued to develop Dromkeen and in 1982, she inaugurated the Dromkeen Medal, awarded annually to an Australian citizen whose work has significantly contributed to the appreciation and development of children's literature. To guarantee a permanent home for the Collection, Scholastic Australia purchased the homestead in 1985. In 2012, the Dromkeen Foundation and Scholastic Australia gifted the entire Dromkeen Collection, along with the Dromkeen archive, to State Library Victoria.

Julia Donaldson and Sharon King-Chai

 

Recently I have seen a few requests on Facebook forums asking for books to gift a young child or books for a baby gift or books that could be keepsakes.  I think these three books are so perfect. Julia Donaldson is a master with language and Sharon King-Chai produces exquisite art.

These books have flaps and die cuts (holes) and richly coloured illustrations. You can buy hardcover or paperback editions. If you can buy all three books they would be a beautiful gift. 

Counting creatures is indeed a counting book but it also introduces a young child to the names we use for animal babies - all told in gentle rhyme with a repeated refrain - 'Who has more babies that that?' You can see inside this book here.

The wild dog has four pups; the owl has five owlets; the arctic hare has seven leverets; the turkey has fifteen poults; and the frog has twenty-five tadpoles.

Then there is the delicious language: the cubs are tottering, swaying, pouncing and playing; the pups are nosing and nestling, writhing and wrestling; and the baby mice are pattering, pawing, nibbling and gnawing.

Sharon King-Chai says: The paperback cover for a rich and beautiful counting book full of gorgeous baby animals, with shaped pages, flaps and fold-outs - the cover was designed to be more seasonally appropriate as it is publishing in the spring (the hardback was autumn) and to include a die-cut flap.

See inside Colours, Colours everywhere here. 

See inside Animalphabet here. I talked about Animalphabet back in 2019.

 

The ABC book by Lyn Gray with verses by Ian Souter

As I previously mentioned I have been collecting alphabet books in preparation for a talk I am doing with Dr Robin Morrow for IBBY Australia. Today some friends and I were at a charity book fair and I spied quite a few alphabet books but this one really caught my eye and since it was only $1, I picked it up. (An internet bookseller has a used copy of this book listed for $64 including delivery - I think I scored a bargain)

I imagine this book from 1996 was originally written as some sort of instructional text. At the front of there is a word list which sorts all of the words into nouns, adjectives and verbs. This page is not really needed - I just enjoyed the rhymes and word play and mini stories attached to each letter. Here are a few that tickled my fancy:

"Dinky the Dinosaur was desperate to dance with a dreamy-eyed dragon - it led to romance; for they jived and they dived to a disco swing and declared their love with a diamond ring."

"Lion and Leopard worked in a library at night while ladybird searched for books by lamplight; And lizard with lollipop was seen by Miss Tut who politely announced 'It's late - time to shut!."

"A lively little zebra wanted a change of view, so with the other zebras zigzagged out of the zoo; but when a zip was unzipped there lay a surprise for the lively little zebra was a child in disguise."

Of course this book is long out of print. 

Plantastic! A to Z of Australian plants by Catherine Clowes illustrated by Rachel Gyan

"Australia is an amazing place, with many unique animals and plants. ... Do you know much about Australian native plants? Do you know that there are some Australian native plants that trap and eat insects? And others with seeds that are spread around in poo? ... If you don't know much about Australian native plants, don't worry; once you've read this book, you'll know heaps." (from the introduction to Plantastic). 

My friend Dr Robin Morrow and I are working on a virtual presentation for IBBY Australia which explores Alphbabet books. Plantastic is not really intended to be an alphabet book but it uses the twenty-six letters of the English alphabet as a way to organise the content.

In this book you can read about familiar Australian flowering plants - Acacia, Banksia, Christmas Bush, Gum Tree, Kangaroo Paw, and Tree Fern.  And others that are less familiar (to me) -  Rice Flower, Noon Flower, Yam Daisy, and Ziera.  

It is clear an enormous amount of research has gone into creating the illustrations for Plantastic. You can see inside this book here. 

This book contains accurate botanical and colourful illustrations which delight the reader. The illustrations are consistently positioned on each page with one larger size illustration on the left side and smaller details on the opposite pate to highlight specific traits of each plant such as flowers or fruits. 

The half title page and title page invite the reader to explore the plants contained in this A to Z book. The final end paper gives young readers an excellent visual representation of the scientific names for the parts of plants. Special mention needs to be made of leaves of each plant. These are done both artistically but also with scientific accuracy. The addition of a bee on front and back the covers, on the first pages and again on second last spread gives a sense of completion to the book and also adds a touch of whimsy. The bees work like bookends to the text. 

Catherine Clowes is a botantist and a teacher which means the text in this book is both scientific and easy to read. Here is the web site for the illustrator Rachel Gyan. 

After reading this book with a young child it might be fun to spend time identifying all of the plants on the front cover. And when you go on a bush walk you could snap some photos and then come home and see if the plants in your area are included in Plantastic. 

Plantastic contains extensive back matter - a distribution map, and a detailed glossary. I especially love the botanical illustrations and the activity which is suggested on each page:

Hibiscus "See if you can spot some pollen in a Hibiscus flower. If you touch it you might notice a few pollen grains fall off onto your finger. You could even try transferring some of this pollen from your finger to the pistil of another flower, just like a pollinator!"

Many years ago I had this little book about our Sydney bush in my school library. It could be a good one to compare with Plantastic:

Al Pha's Bet by Amy Krouse Rosenthal illustrated by Delphine Durand

"Once the letters are organised, writing will really take off! Books! Poetry! Love Letters! Stop signs! whoever comes up with the most beautiful arrangement for these twenty-six letters will be remembered for all of time."  This is the bet made my the king.

So Al begins. Naturally A needs to be the first letter - A for Al. Then a bee buzzes past - which means the next letter has to be B followed by three more which rhyme - C, D and E. H and I make a word and M is for middle, N and O go together - NO giving up. 

Publisher blurb: Wonderful things are being invented every day in Al Pha's world-fire, the wheel, even shadows! His big chance to be part of history comes when the King announces that the twenty-six recently invented letters need to be put in order. Al makes a bet with himself that he's the man for the job. Through a series of funny events, he eventually finds the perfect order for the letters, and the king rewards him by naming his creation the "Alphabet."

I am collecting alphabet books especially titles that are a little bit different, or clever, or unique. Perhaps you are curious about the order of the letters in our alphabet. Here is a fun (totally invented) explanation. Watch this trailer which takes you inside this book. Here is the Kirkus review. 

Alpha by Isabelle Arsenault

I am collecting Alpbabet books for an IBBY presentation. I am so excited to share this one with you. It is spectacular! Isabelle Arsenault shares more illustrations here. You can see inside this book here. My favourite pages are Papa; Quebec; and Tango.

Blurb: Discover the NATO phonetic alphabet--and find layers of connection in every letter--in a stunning abecedarian from celebrated artist Isabelle Arsenault. Alpha, Bravo, Charlie . . . Since 1956, whenever time and clarity are of the essence, everyone from firefighters to air traffic controllers has spelled out messages using the NATO phonetic alphabet. Now, with equal precision--infused with a singular wit and whimsy--award-winning author-illustrator Isabelle Arsenault interprets this internationally recognised code and makes it her own. From the elegant Tango to the enigmatic Echo, from the humorous Kilo to the haunting Romeo and Juliet, the striking art in this remarkable ABC book elicits laughter and curiosity, calls up endless associations, and will draw the viewer back again and again.

Sadly this book from 2015 is now very expensive - way beyond most school budgets. I did learn a new word today - abecedarian - it means alphabetically arranged! I do wish this review comment was easy to achieve. 

This is definitely an alphabet book that you should add to your collection. Gatherine Books

Isabelle Arsenault is a Canadian illustrator who has won an impressive number of awards and has achieved international recognition. Her books include Migrant by Maxine Trottier, a New York Times Best Illustrated Children's Book and a finalist for the Governor General's Award, Once Upon a Northern night by Jean E. Pendziwol, and Jane, the Fox and Me by Fanny Britt. She lives in Montreal.

Image source: The art of the Picture Book

Captain Rosalie

Once Upon an Alphabet by Oliver Jeffers

If words make up stories, and letters make up words, then stories are made of letters. In this menagerie we have stories made of words, made for all the letters. 

Our world is filled with letters (although you might think about how different these letters look in China or Russia or Japan or Iran). Working in a school library knowledge of the alphabet is quite essential. Luckily I do enjoy putting things into alphabetical order - perhaps that why I became a Teacher-Librarian. BUT there is so much more to discover in this book. This book takes the concept of the alphabet book to a whole new dimension. 

Blurb: Here you will discover twenty-six short stories introducing a host of new characters (plus the occasional familiar face). From Edmund the astronaut with his awkward fear of heights, via the dynamic new investigative due of the Owl and the Octopus, through to the Zeppelin that just might get Edmund a little bit closer to where he needs to be, this book is packed with funny, thrilling, perilous and above all entertaining tales inspired by every letter of the alphabet.

If you are working with a class as a temporary or casual teacher this book should be added to your repertoire. Every letter in this book has their own story to tell - 26 letters, 26 stories. I think this is a simply perfect book to share with an older group of students - Grades 4-6. You could also visit your school library and borrow all of the books by Oliver Jeffers. You might also borrow all of their alphabet books - head over to the Dewey shelf 421. 

Discussion questions before reading Once upon an Alphabet:

• What do you expect to find in an alphabet book?
• Did you have alphabet books when you were very young? Did they have a theme or topic?
• Watch this video animation of The Hidden Alphabet by Laura Vaccaro Seeger
• Why do you think your parents shared alphabet books with you?
• What are some reasons for writing an alphabet book?
• Which letters might be tricky?
• Do you think there are alphabet books written for older children?
• This book begins with A is for Astronaut. What might come next?
• Take a look at these Burning a bridge; Cup in the cupboard; Danger Delilah - what is happening with the letters?

Now look more closely at the cover:

Is there a hint about the contents of this book in the subtitle - Short stories for all the letters?

Time to read this book: 

Then everyone can grab a letter and you could make a class alphabet book of stories. I would limit the writing to 20-30 words and of course everyone will contribute illustrations!

The silly, spare, slightly surreal text occasionally rhymes and endlessly surprises. Jeffers introduces each letter and story title on a separate, colored page, featuring the letter in childlike lettering. Deceptively naïve pen, ink and watercolor illustrations in subdued blacks and grays on white backgrounds add to the overall whimsy. Reappearing visual elements provide intertextual humor. An utterly delightful alphabet book. Kirkus Star review

One thing that sets Jeffers apart from the pack is his deft wordplay. He has always been as comfortable as a writer as he is an illustrator or artist. SLJ Elizabeth Bird

A delight of an alphabet book, Jeffers has revolutionized the genre with his impressive, surprising and funny work.  Waking Brain Cells

Do make sure you take time to look closely at the end papers of Once upon an Alphabet which provide a resolution to each story. 

I am collecting alphabet books for an IBBY talk I am preparing with Dr Robin Morrow. I have started a Pinterest of Alphabet Books with a Difference.

Here is an interview with Oliver where he talks about this book. 

Christmas is coming to Australia try an ABC book for fun

B is for beach; I is for ice-cream; K is for koalas kissing; and P is for pavolva.

Last week I visited a large city bookstore (because they were offering a good discount on all purchases) and I spied The Aussie ABC Christmas.  This is not a new book, it was published in 2018, but I had not seen it and because I am starting to collect Alphabet books in preparation for an IBBY talk with Dr Robin Morrow early in 2022 I decided it to add it to my own Christmas book collection. 

Perhaps if you read this book with a young child you could begin by trying to guess some of the possible word choices for your favourite letters.  I like the letters M and L and E and C.  My guesses would be mince pies; laughter; excitement; and candy canes. Of course I was wrong. The Aussie ABC Christmas has M for milk; L for lights; E for emu; and C for carols.

Inside this book you will also find a frilled necked lizard; two kangaroos; kookaburras laughing in a gum tree; a hills hoist clothes line; the Sydney Opera House; and a gum leaf wreath. 

You can read more about this book on the blog  - The Bottom Shelf. My own favourite Christmas alphabet book is the one by Robert Sabuda (sadly out of print). You can see the pages here.