 This surrealistic alphabet book consists of letters, written in upper and lower case, manuscript, and cursive and a series of unconnected phrases. Some make sense (D shows a downpour and K is a kiwi), but many are obscure (X is for “XX chromosome and I am expanding” and R shows two birds – “never meant to be rude.”) This is not a book for teaching the alphabet, but one that tells stories for each letter. Square pages with mixed media collage illustrations of cut paper, charcoal sketches, and broad brushstrokes on thick paper provide the interpretations for the letters. The author/illustrator is also a well-known cartoonist, graphic artist, singer, and composer in Argentina. mjw |
| Title: Daytime Visions: An Alphabet Author: Isol (Marisol Misenta) Illustrator: Isol (Marisol Misenta) Publisher: Enchanted Lion Books, New York Copyright: 2016 Original Language: Spanish Translator: Isol and Elisa Amado Original Title: Abecedario a mano (Libros Para Ninos series) Original Publisher: Fondo de Cultura Economica Original Copyright: 2015 ISBN: 978-1-59270-195-7 Hardcover pages: 56 Age range: 2-7 Genre: Picture Book Author’s ethnicity: Argentine Author’s residence: Buenos Aires Illustrator’s ethnicity: Argentine Illustrator’s residence: Buenos Aires Awards: 2013 Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award, twice a finalist for the Hans Christian Andersen Award – 2006 and 2008 Subjects: Alphabets, Animals |
Daytime Visions : An Alphabet
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Death, a cute, robe-clad skull figure bearing a deep red tulip, comes to visit Duck in this quiet and strange picture book. They develop an unusual, but beautiful friendship. At the pond, Death gets chilled, and Duck comforts him. They climb a tree. Duck wonders about dying and the afterlife. She is not afraid. In the end, Duck dies and Death gently lays the tulip on her. Surrealistic mixed-media artwork and deadpan humor extend the tender treatment of this difficult topic. mjw
When her new teacher mistakes twelve-year-old Simone for a boy, the excitement and complications of her double life begin. Quirky and eccentric characters; amusing episodes; and themes encompassing teenage identity, sexuality, gender, intergenerational friendships, and death make this an interesting and entertaining story. Simone’s world of fruitloops and dipsticks includes an impulsive and artistic mother, ducks in the classroom, lost dogs, and kooky friends. First published in Sweden in 1984, this beautifully written first person narration is a product of its time with a real Scandinavian flavor. mjw
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