Quill and Quire

REVIEWS

« Back to
Book Reviews

Accidental Alphabet

by Dianna Bonder

Dianna Bonder, illustrator of A Pacific Alphabet, has produced another abcedarium, this one chronicling the misadventures of 26 characters in rhyming verse. This is the first book that Bonder, an artist based near Vancouver, has both written and illustrated. The two components work well together in that the historical influences in the verse style (nursery rhyme and nonsense) complement the Renaissance-inspired paintings. A counting game and search for hidden letters on the last pages further strengthen the link between words and pictures. Ultimately, though, the illustrations play the starring role in this book, with the words lending support.

A full page is devoted to each letter of the alphabet, with each letter representing a character whose project has gone awry. For instance, the opening scene involves the traditional A for apple pie, this one baked by Aunt Augusta and stolen by ants wearing velvet caps and smug expressions. A few readers might be put off by the harshness of some of the scenarios, like the one in which a monkey punishes an insulting mockingbird by gluing his mouth shut. Misfortune tinged with malice is traditional nursery-rhyme fare, but readers looking for only sweetness and reassurance – of which there is some in the book – should be warned. Otherwise, the humour in the pictures and verse is well pitched to an audience of four- to seven-year-olds.

The detail in the illustrations is impressive, particularly in the ornate Renaissance costumes. There is a hint of the grotesque in the human characters, with their oversized heads and exaggerated features, but some of the animals are beautiful, particularly the insects and amphibians. Bonder’s regal toad, which adorns the cover, offers a great enticement to pick up the book.

 

Reviewer: Bridget Donald

Publisher: Whitecap Books

DETAILS

Price: $19.95

Page Count: 32 pp

Format: Cloth

ISBN: 1-55285-394-2

Released: Oct.

Issue Date: 2002-12

Categories: Picture Books

Age Range: ages 4-7