Review of Alphabet Everywhere by Ellliott Kaufman

Publisher: Abbeville Publishing Group
Release Date: May 8, 2012
Buying Links: Amazon     The Book Depository

Book Blurb (from goodreads):

There is a world of letters just waiting to be discovered in the world around us -- if we know how to look for it.

In this engaging and delightful book, photographer Elliott Kaufman reveals the "secret" life of the alphabet through his photographs, showing how letters can be found in things we encounter every day. Each letter of the alphabet is represented by multiple images, each unintentionally created by the intersection of architectural details, shadows, light, or natural elements as caught by Kaufman's keen eye. Some are obvious, while others demand a little more imagination to recognize, inviting the readers to start their own game of hunting for letters! This fun approach also reinforces the notion that learning to see the familiar in new ways encourages visual literacy and creativity.

Elliott Kaufman is an architectural photographer whose work has been displayed in venues such as the Philadelphia Museum of Art and The Light Gallery (NYC). He currently teaches at Queens College and the International Center for Photography.
 
Reviewed By: Bea

Bea's Thoughts:

I LOVE THIS BOOK! I don't get too excited about children's books in general. There are some I like very much and share with my classes year after, and this will definitely be one, but it's rare that I get all fangirly about one. I won this in a giveaway on a book site, thinking that it sounded like one my current class of three-and-a-half year olds would enjoy. They have been fascinated by the alphabet for months now and we keep building on and extending their interest.

When I received the book, I immediately began looking through it and fell in love. :D The author and photographer, Kaufman, has an excellent eye and did a superb job of finding examples of every letter, in uppercase form, of the alphabet. There are five photos for each letter and they are a mix of easy to identify and challenging to identify. My favorite one is the fern curled up like a P. At the back of the book is an index that identifies the objects in each photo.

Sadly, my class has been less responsive. They haven't shown a lot of interest in it, though there was some mild interest in my suggestion that we take a walk around our school, inside and out, to see what letters we could identify. But, they quickly lost interest and the book is just sitting on the shelf in the classroom. I'm very disappointed, but I'll try again and I"ll also try with next year's class.

I won this book in a giveaway on Dream.