British graphic designer Paul Thurlby plays with type in the most delightful ways. He builds his compositions on the capital letter that correlates to his subject on the right-hand page. On the left-hand page, both the capital and lower-case letters appear against a bold, solid-colored backdrop--ideal for children just learning the alphabet.
But those who have mastered their ABCs will most appreciate these witty illustrations. "Q for Quicksand," for instance, stars a red egg-shaped fellow with arms outstretched in fear, and one leg already submerged--for a perfect Q shape. "A for Awesome," which creates a portrait of the energetic boy on the book's cover, uses red, turquoise and navy on a sand-colored background. Two letters later, in front of a mesh net, only the goalie's arms form the "C" to "Catch" the soccer ball. Here, Thurlby incorporates the light blue that dominated the picture for "B." He also introduces a gold background hue that matches the color of the bone in the "D for Dog" spread. The artist subtly carries his color scheme through the compositions, and his precisely placed lines also create a sense of movement.
Thurlby offers a wide variety of visual approaches. "G 4 Graffiti" breaks with the usual pattern ("4" in lieu of "for"), and he forms the type for "K is for Karate" (a boy's K-shaped karate stance) with the swish of a brushstroke that resembles Chinese calligraphy. Children may pick up this whimsical volume to learn their letters, but they'll also come away with a heightened aesthetic sense. --Jennifer M. Brown, children's editor, Shelf Awareness