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Banner: Beyond the Letters: A Retrospective of Canadian Alphabet Books
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ABCs at Play

Alphabet books are at their best when they are able to amuse their young readers, injecting a little fun into the sometimes-difficult task of learning to read. The books in this section can be categorized as playful.

Some use wordplay, puns and riddles to create a sense of fun. Others contain board games and puzzles that require children to play along and learn in the process. Many of these books have amusing, quirky illustrations that contain literary references, visual tricks and conundrums that depict hilarious situations or imaginative fantasy worlds.

Far from being juvenile, many of the books in this section are sophisticated and challenging, at times more accessible for older children and adults. No matter who the intended audience, all of these books share commonalities: humour, wit and most of all, a sense of fun!

Featured Books

Cover of book, ABÉCÉDAIRE DE ANTONIO À ZÉPHIRIN
Copyright/Source
Abécédaire de Antonio à Zéphirin

Beaudin, Isabelle. -- Abécédaire: de Antonio à Zéphirin. -- Laval, Québec : Les 400 coups, ©1998. -- [30] p. -- ISBN 2921620243

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In this beautifully designed ABC book we are introduced to a new character with each letter of the alphabet. All the characters are contorted into the shape of their corresponding letter, and the characters' names begin with the letter of the alphabet with which they are introduced. An alliterative text accompanies whimsical and softly rendered illustrations that convey the individuality of each character.

Cover of book, LES JEUX DE PIC-MOTS
Copyright/Source
Les Jeux de Pic-Mots

Béha, Philippe ; Delolme, Marie-Antoinette. -- Les jeux de Pic-Mots [kit]. -- [Boucherville, Québec] : Graficor, [©1988]. - 1 book, 2 game boards, 58 cards, 1 audio cassette, 1 guide. -- ISBN 2892421217

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This alphabet kit is packed with things to make learning fun. Readers are challenged to answer the questions that are posed throughout the text of the book. There is also a witty and alliterative text that relates to the illustrations. Hilarious, vibrant, quirky and chock-full of details and fun -- the more you look, the more you will see in these outstanding illustrations. Children can follow along with the text by listening to the questions and answers read aloud on the audiotape. A series of games described in the user's guide will provide additional learning.

Cover of book, ALPHABEASTS
Copyright/Source
Alphabeasts

Edwards, Wallace. -- Alphabeasts. -- Toronto : Kids Can Press, ©2002. -- [32 p.] -- ISBN 1553373863

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This sophisticated safari into fantasy won the 2002 Governor General's Award for Children's Book Illustration. Alphabeasts is written and illustrated by artist Wallace Edwards and is his first children's book. Set in a Victorian mansion, which is embellished on the outside with a selection of animal parts and ornately decorated on the inside with a myriad of patterns, this menagerie presents a delightful, surrealistic world where there is much more going on than first meets the eye. The rhyming couplets are teamed with illustrations that contain clever conundrums. The illustrations, rendered in watercolour and coloured pencil, need to be examined closely, and over and over again, to appreciate all the hidden meaning that is being conveyed.

Cover of book, DE L'ANGE AU ZÈBRE
Copyright/Source
De l'ange au zèbre

Gagnon, Cécile ; Leclercq, Béatrice. -- De l'ange au zèbre. -- Conception et illustrations, Béatrice Leclercq ; Textes, Cécile Gagnon. -- Montréal : Éditions Pierre Tisseyre, ©1991. -- [60] p. -- ISBN 289051398X

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Feast your eyes on a magical world in this challenging alphabet book. Along with clever poetic prose, it contains classical, mythical, medieval and literary references. Though the illustrations reflect the text, there is much more going on. The detailed pictures, in rich muted shades, have a fairytale quality and depict a mix of different times in the past. Other words besides those specified in the text lie waiting to be found in each illustration. These words can be found in a list at the back of the book. Every illustration is jammed with things to see, leaving the reader with the desire to return time and time again to experience new surprises.

Cover of book, LE LIVRE DE L'ALPHABET MUET
Copyright/Source
Le Livre de l'alphabet muet

Le livre de l'alphabet muet. -- Conception, Christiane Duchesne ; documentation, Claude Villeneuve ; rédaction, Célestin de la Grange ; illustration, Marie-Louise Gay. -- [Montréal] : Brault et Bouthillier, ©1987. -- 23 p. -- ISBN 2761500229

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This alphabet book features a series of 11 games and is accompanied by a box containing 12 cards to be used for these games. Each page is divided into a board game with numbered squares. The top portion contains whimsical letters of the alphabet, each letter a different character. The alphabet on each page has a different theme such as sea life, cats, trapeze artists and mimes. The lower portion contains the alphabet in standard type. When the questions have been answered correctly, the squares form a specified coloured pattern. A text full of riddles and word play floats above each game board.

Cover of book, PLAY MAS'! A CARNIVAL ABC
Copyright/Source
Play Mas'! A Carnival ABC

McLean, Dirk. -- Play mas'! : a carnival ABC. -- Illustrated by Ras Stone. -- Toronto : Tundra Books, ©2000. -- [32] p. -- ISBN 088776486X

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Jump up! It's Carnival time! The sights, sounds and spectacle, it's all here waiting for you, so come and join in the celebration. Set in the Caribbean, fun explodes on every page. You will encounter the elaborate costumes, dancing, singing and music that make Carnival so full of life. The alliterative text joins forces with the vibrant illustrations, capturing the spirit of the Caribbean. Each illustration contains other objects, beginning with the appropriate letter, besides those mentioned in the text. The letter itself also lies waiting to be discovered. An introduction about Carnival is provided. Information about what is being depicted in each illustration, along with a list of the objects included in each, is provided at the back of the book.

Cover of book, L'ABÉCÉDAIRE DU MUSÉE
Copyright/Source
L'Abécédaire du musée

Musée d'art contemporain de Montréal. L'abécédaire du musée. -- Montréal : Le Musée d'art contemporain de Montréal, 1995. -- 30 p. -- ISBN 255113403X

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This nicely designed alphabet book draws on the permanent art collection of the Musée d'art contemporain de Montréal for its illustrations. Each letter of the alphabet is accompanied by one word. This word relates to the artwork that has been chosen to illustrate the page. For example, the letter Y is for "yeux". The illustration for Y is Alfred Pellan's work entitled Bestiare. The serigraph contains many pairs of eyes from a wide variety of creatures that stare out at the viewer. This book's artistic showcase will be appreciated by an older audience, but is also a nice way to provide children with some exposure to modern works of art.

Cover of CREATURES: AN ALPHABET FOR ADULTS AND WORLDLY CHILDREN
Copyright/Source
Creatures: An Alphabet for Adults and Worldly Children

Newfeld, Frank. -- Creatures : an alphabet for adults and worldly children. -- Toronto : Groundwood Books/Douglas & McIntyre, ©1998. -- [44] p. -- ISBN 0888993331

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This is a sophisticated ABC book intended, as the title makes clear, for "adults and worldly children." There is no text in this book, only illustrations rendered in many different techniques and varying media such as watercolour, pen and ink, collage and scratchboard. The rich and brightly coloured illustrations hold a collection of challenging images that have one thing in common: a particular letter of the alphabet. If you have trouble identifying the references, puns and other witticisms, don't despair -- notes at the back of the book will introduce you to the cast of characters, famous people in history, mythical beasts and everything else that is going on.

Cover of book, TRUNKS ALL ABOARD: AN ELEPHANT ABC
Copyright/Source
Trunks All Aboard: An Elephant ABC

Nichol, Barbara. -- Trunks all aboard : an elephant ABC. -- Illustrated by Sir William Cornelius Van Horne. -- Toronto : Tundra Books, ©2001. -- [24] p. -- ISBN 088776536X

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In 1909, Sir William Cornelius Van Horne, one-time president of the Canadian Pacific Railway, took an overseas trip. While away, Van Horne sent home to Montréal illustrations that he drew for his grandson. These delightful drawings, in watercolour and pen and ink, depict a cast of elegant, well-heeled pachyderms, caught in a variety of privileged pursuits as they sojourn throughout Europe. Barbara Nichol has fashioned an entertaining text that rhymes as it travels through the alphabet. This book will charm anyone with a soft spot for elephants.

Cover of book, THE NOISY ALPHABET
Copyright/Source
The Noisy Alphabet

The noisy alphabet. -- Toronto : Yonge & Bloor Pub., ©1990. -- [32] p. -- ISBN 1895204003

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This stylistic sampler is composed of the work of thirteen different illustrators. Each illustrator was given two letters of the alphabet and a list of words, along with instructions to use at least one of the words in their illustration. Free to choose any style and medium, the result is, as the title suggests, a noisy alphabet book. A blank page between illustrations would have given visual space between discordant styles that sometimes jar when placed side by side. Not all of the words that appear on a given page necessarily appear in the illustration. A list at the back of the book provides the words to be found in each picture. The thirteen illustrators, identified at the back of the book with a brief paragraph, are cross-referenced to the appropriate illustrations. One of the featured illustrators is Kim Fernandes. A third year student at the Ontario College of Art at the time of publication, she is now an award-winning children's illustrator.

Cover of book, THE LION IN THE LAKE = LE LION DANS LE LAC
Copyright/Source
The Lion in the Lake = Le Lion dans le lac

Oberman, Sheldon. -- The lion in the lake : a bilingual alphabet book = Le lion dans le lac : un abécédaire bilingue. -- Illustrated by Scott Barham. -- Winnipeg : Peguis Pub., 1988. -- [59] p. -- ISBN 0920541364

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This bilingual alphabet book, designed for young children, is a delightful romp into a world of incongruity where a violinist plays beside an erupting volcano and a baby is alone in a boat with only his teddy bear for supervision. There is lots of humour in juxtapositions such as a turtle with a train, an elephant at school and a nose in a nest. The alliterative text comes to life next to whimsical illustrations that are full of charm and appeal.

Cover of book, A,B,C...PLAY WITH ME!
Copyright/Source
A,B,C...Play with Me!

Paré, Roger. -- A,B,C : play with me! -- Deephaven, Minn. : Meadowbrook Press, [1993], c1985. -- 1 book, 1 game, 2 puzzles, 1 instructional leaflet. -- ISBN 088166121X

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This alphabet book and game makes learning the alphabet fun. Each letter of the alphabet is accompanied by an alliterative text and an illustration that depicts the words in the text. Many of the pictures feature animals that do all the same things that humans do. The animals read, drive motorcycles, play golf and play musical instruments. The bright illustrations are both charming and amusing. The characters, mostly animals, are depicted up front and center, clearly the most important part of the picture. The game includes 32 game pieces, one for each letter of the alphabet, plus 6 extra pieces. With these pieces, children can spell out the words in the book, tell a story or play scrabble. Five other activities are also suggested.

Cover of book, L'ALPHABET
Copyright/Source
L'Alphabet [kit]

Paré, Roger. -- L'alphabet [kit]. -- Montréal : Les éditions la courte échelle, [1985?]. -- 1 book, 1 game, 2 puzzles, 1 instructional leaflet. -- ISBN 2890210502

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This alphabet kit contains a book, a game, two puzzles, and a user's guide for parents. Each letter of the alphabet is accompanied by an alliterative text and an illustration that depicts the words in the text. Many of the pictures feature animals that do all the same things that humans do. The animals read, drive motorcycles, play golf and play musical instruments. The bright illustrations are both charming and amusing. The characters, mostly animals, are depicted up front and center, clearly the most important part of the picture. The game includes 32 game pieces, one for each letter of the alphabet, plus 6 extra pieces. With these pieces, children can spell out the words in the book, tell a story or play scrabble. Five other activities are also suggested.

Cover of book, L'ALPHABET
Copyright/Source
L'Alphabet

Paré, Roger. -- L'alphabet. -- Lincolnwood, Illinois : Passport Books, [1991]. -- 37 p. -- ISBN 0844213950

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This alphabet book is a reprint of Roger Paré's 1985 alphabet book, which was part of a kit that came with games. Published without the game pieces, this book is intended to help children learn French. To this end, the back of the book features guides for how to pronounce the names of the letters, as well as the sounds that they make. There is also a translation of the text and individual words. Each letter of the alphabet is accompanied by an alliterative text and an illustration that depicts the key words. Many of the pictures feature animals that do the same things that humans do. The animals read, drive motorcycles, play golf and play musical instruments. The bright illustrations are both charming and amusing. The characters, mostly animals, are depicted up front and center, clearly the most important part of each picture.

Cover of book, THE ANNICK ABC
Copyright/Source
The Annick ABC

Paré, Roger. -- The Annick ABC. -- Toronto : Annick Press, ©1985. -- [24] p. -- ISBN 0920303781

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This tiny translated version of Roger's original L'Alphabet, measures less than 3.5 by 3.5 inches. Each letter of the alphabet is accompanied by an alliterative text and an illustration that depicts the key words. Many of the pictures feature animals that do the same things that humans do. The animals read, drive motorcycles, play golf and play musical instruments. The bright illustrations are both charming and amusing. The characters, mostly animals, are depicted up front and center, clearly the most important part of each picture.