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Creature ABC (Hardback) - Common
An elegant addition to any library, this deluxe alphabet book features 120 pages of Andrew Zuckerman's breathtaking wildlife photography. From alligator to zebra, each featured animal boasts two striking studio portraits against a clean white background, offering a unique up-close view of the animal kingdom. Readers can flip to a helpful glossary in the back for extra information. From the sleek beauty of a smiling hippo to the powerful majesty of a roaring lion, this gorgeous new book is both a stunning work of art and a ferociously fun way for young animal-lovers to learn their ABCs.
120 pages, Hardcover
First published July 29, 2009
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 81 reviews
June 10, 2009
Each year there’s a spate of alphabet books that flood the market willy-nilly. And in this day and age when kids become jaded around the age of three, if you’re going to do something abecedarian you’re gonna need a gimmick. Maybe each letter will stand for a different amusing spy. Maybe they’ll dance up a coconut tree to a jazzy jungle beat. Perhaps your alphabet will be constructed out of street signs and city symbols. Whatever it is, it better be great or the general buying public will have none of it. Andrew Zuckerman, by the way, has an alphabet book coming out this year. And I suppose you could say that he even has a gimmick, if by “gimmick” you mean “an awesome series of dead gorgeous photographs of every conceivable animal”. Creature ABC is a kid-friendly version of the adult book Creature produced roughly two years ago. And like the kangaroo jumping away from the letter “K”, this book offers a sharp kick to every grown-up and child lucky enough to get their hands on it. A book to remind you what photography's really all about.
The striped zebra endpapers offer right from the start the kind of stark black and white feel you’re going to find in this book. Turn the pages and on the left-hand page is a leg. A leg covered in marbled black scales, opening up into a five-toed foot, three nails blunt and evident. On the right-hand page is just an “Aa”. Turn the page again and you find yourself nose-to-nose with a full sized alligator. The word "alligator" is nestled to its right, and one green slitted eye watches you, hungry. This format continues throughout the book. You’ll see a paired big letter and little letter, and a glimpse or full-frontal shot of the creature, then the reveal of the name on the next page. Sometimes the letter will reveal a whole group of critters. “Nn” is for “nocturnal” animals like the “American badger” or the “slow loris”. And “Uu” for “underwater” animals. A Glossary at the end of the book offers small facts about some of the animals pictured.
The book actually contains a kind of narrative within its pages. The transition from “Kk” to “Ll” shows a kangaroo on the left-hand page looking at a lion on the right. And you begin to wonder if certain animals were paired together on purpose. For example, the “Jj” of the jackrabbit shows a strange jumping creature with relatively long legs. To put it right before the kangaroo is to create an interesting compare and contrast. So while the relationship between one animal and another isn’t straightforward, there are little moments like these that keep them interesting.
You are left with a couple questions by the end, of course. For example, “Ff” is for frog, and on the first page you see a red-eyed tree frog. Turn the page, however, and not only is the tree frog making a leap for its life, but there’s a strange albino froggy sitting there as well. What kind of frog is it? A trip to the Glossary at the back will yield few answers. The facts you find there are a bit random. Each one seems to have been chosen in terms of how well it fits on the page, rather than illuminating anything in the photograph. The species of the remarkably handsome rooster is left to you to determine on your own. There are some exceptions. For example, the sweat on the hippo is explained to be a kind of natural “hippo sunscreen”.
In November of 2007 Andrew Zuckerman’s book Creature was released to the adult market. Most of the photographs that you will find in this book appeared previously in the adult work. There are, however, a few exceptions. For Creature ABC Zuckerman added the hippopotamus, the penguins, a porcupine, a vulture, and an oryx. In the case of the vulture and oryx, one has to assume that the guy was scrambling to cover his alphabetic bases in the “V” and “X” departments. Sadly, this previous publication of images will keep this book from being eligible for certain literary awards, but aside from that there’s aren’t any problems with reusing an animal or two here. Of course, once you know that Zuckerman was choosing animals based on the photographs he’d taken before, some of the letters begin to make a little more sense. “Yy” for “Yellow Canary” for example. Or “Dd” for “Dove”.
All things considered Creature ABC is perhaps one of the most beautifully photographed ABC books I’ve ever seen. Its white backgrounds will make you forget every GAP/Macintosh commercial you’ve ever watched, because the animals truly sell themselves. Zuckerman knows who the real stars of the show are here. And when a kid has a chance to examine each fold on an elephant’s head and every quill on a porcupine’s body, that’s an experience they’ll not soon forget. A jaw-dropping affair.
Ages 4-9.
The striped zebra endpapers offer right from the start the kind of stark black and white feel you’re going to find in this book. Turn the pages and on the left-hand page is a leg. A leg covered in marbled black scales, opening up into a five-toed foot, three nails blunt and evident. On the right-hand page is just an “Aa”. Turn the page again and you find yourself nose-to-nose with a full sized alligator. The word "alligator" is nestled to its right, and one green slitted eye watches you, hungry. This format continues throughout the book. You’ll see a paired big letter and little letter, and a glimpse or full-frontal shot of the creature, then the reveal of the name on the next page. Sometimes the letter will reveal a whole group of critters. “Nn” is for “nocturnal” animals like the “American badger” or the “slow loris”. And “Uu” for “underwater” animals. A Glossary at the end of the book offers small facts about some of the animals pictured.
The book actually contains a kind of narrative within its pages. The transition from “Kk” to “Ll” shows a kangaroo on the left-hand page looking at a lion on the right. And you begin to wonder if certain animals were paired together on purpose. For example, the “Jj” of the jackrabbit shows a strange jumping creature with relatively long legs. To put it right before the kangaroo is to create an interesting compare and contrast. So while the relationship between one animal and another isn’t straightforward, there are little moments like these that keep them interesting.
You are left with a couple questions by the end, of course. For example, “Ff” is for frog, and on the first page you see a red-eyed tree frog. Turn the page, however, and not only is the tree frog making a leap for its life, but there’s a strange albino froggy sitting there as well. What kind of frog is it? A trip to the Glossary at the back will yield few answers. The facts you find there are a bit random. Each one seems to have been chosen in terms of how well it fits on the page, rather than illuminating anything in the photograph. The species of the remarkably handsome rooster is left to you to determine on your own. There are some exceptions. For example, the sweat on the hippo is explained to be a kind of natural “hippo sunscreen”.
In November of 2007 Andrew Zuckerman’s book Creature was released to the adult market. Most of the photographs that you will find in this book appeared previously in the adult work. There are, however, a few exceptions. For Creature ABC Zuckerman added the hippopotamus, the penguins, a porcupine, a vulture, and an oryx. In the case of the vulture and oryx, one has to assume that the guy was scrambling to cover his alphabetic bases in the “V” and “X” departments. Sadly, this previous publication of images will keep this book from being eligible for certain literary awards, but aside from that there’s aren’t any problems with reusing an animal or two here. Of course, once you know that Zuckerman was choosing animals based on the photographs he’d taken before, some of the letters begin to make a little more sense. “Yy” for “Yellow Canary” for example. Or “Dd” for “Dove”.
All things considered Creature ABC is perhaps one of the most beautifully photographed ABC books I’ve ever seen. Its white backgrounds will make you forget every GAP/Macintosh commercial you’ve ever watched, because the animals truly sell themselves. Zuckerman knows who the real stars of the show are here. And when a kid has a chance to examine each fold on an elephant’s head and every quill on a porcupine’s body, that’s an experience they’ll not soon forget. A jaw-dropping affair.
Ages 4-9.
January 14, 2010
Zuckerman goes through the alphabet, using photographs to illustrate a creature (or multiple creatures in some cases) for each letter. Usually the letter is presented on one page, with a close-up of an animal on the facing page. The next two-page spread consists of the identification of the animal(s) and a photo that shows more of the animal than the close-up did.
I enjoyed this book through the letter "c"... and then it started to lose me. The animal chosen for "D" was a dove, which is fine, except that the photos chosen were less than compelling and were almost identical. Plus, a white bird on a white background is not really a great idea aesthetically. The choices of "nocturnal" and "underwater" for "N" and "U" also bothered me. Most of the letters were given one specific animal, so these just seemed out of place. "Quills" also bugged me - that is not an animal, and there are animals that begin with "Q" that could have been used instead. And using "Oryx" for "X" really upset me. There are animals that begin with "x," so if you're going to pick an obscure animal to illustrate the letter, why not pick one of those? And "yellow canary" for "Y"... seriously? You couldn't do better than that?
Ok, so in case you can't tell, I was not a fan of this book. The general idea of it is fine, but the execution was not impressive.
I enjoyed this book through the letter "c"... and then it started to lose me. The animal chosen for "D" was a dove, which is fine, except that the photos chosen were less than compelling and were almost identical. Plus, a white bird on a white background is not really a great idea aesthetically. The choices of "nocturnal" and "underwater" for "N" and "U" also bothered me. Most of the letters were given one specific animal, so these just seemed out of place. "Quills" also bugged me - that is not an animal, and there are animals that begin with "Q" that could have been used instead. And using "Oryx" for "X" really upset me. There are animals that begin with "x," so if you're going to pick an obscure animal to illustrate the letter, why not pick one of those? And "yellow canary" for "Y"... seriously? You couldn't do better than that?
Ok, so in case you can't tell, I was not a fan of this book. The general idea of it is fine, but the execution was not impressive.
July 24, 2023
Beautiful photos of animals, paired with letters of the alphabet. M enjoyed it, and I think younger kids would like it even more. It would be great as a board book, although the copy at our library was not in that format.
July 11, 2015
Large, vivid photos of animals, although a few were a bit too creepy for my taste (scorpion!), and it was a little odd that some letters randomly were a concept ("nocturnal" or "underwater") or just lazy ("yellow canary" for y... what about yak?). Oh well. OCD preferences aside, Beatrice seemed to enjoy it.
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February 9, 2017Melissa Wittig
Reading Log 1
Title: Creature abc
Author: Andrew Zuckerman
Illustrator: Photographs by Andrew Zuckerman
Genre: Alphabet Book
Theme(s): Alphabet, Animals, Photography, Nature
Opening line/sentence:
Aa
alligator
Brief Book Summary:
Creature abc is an wonderful book where animals and the alphabet come to life. The book takes the pattern of showing a portion of the animal with the capital and lower case letter of what it may start with. The next page reveals the animal with its name and spelling. The animal pictures in the book are realistic photographs that have been photographed by the author. The back of the book provides a glossary of the alphabet, animal pictures and descriptions and fun facts of the animals.
Professional Recommendation/Review #1:
Keri Collins Lewis (Children's Literature)
With photographs so vivid it seems like readers could feel the sharpness of the scorpion s tail or the heat of the lion s breath as he roars, Andrew Zuckerman takes the alphabet for a walk on the wild side. Inspired by his popular coffee-table book Creature, this is no ordinary alphabet book. Each letter enjoys inclusion on two spreads to allow prediction of the entry based on the teaser image and letter, which is shown in both upper and lower case. Older children will enjoy unexpected twists in word selection that engage their vocabulary skills and knowledge of the animal world, such as the entry for I, which is accompanied by a photograph of ants. From a scaly alligator claw to a zebra s dashing stripes, Andrew Zuckerman s brilliant studio portraits of a wide variety of familiar and unusual animals, as well as the glossary with its interesting facts, make this alphabet book fascinating to readers of all ages. Teachers can incorporate this book into studies of animals, to launch discussions about texture in art, or for a creative writing project that assigns thoughts or speech to each of the animals based on its body language and facial expression. A sure hit with nature lovers, this engaging collection of images depicts the marvelous wonder of the animal world and will keep children fascinated long after they ve learned their letters. 2009, Chronicle Books LLC, $19.99. Ages 3 to 8.
(PUBLISHER: Chronicle Books (San Francisco:), PUBLISHED: 2009.)
Professional Recommendation/Review #2:
Kirkus (Kirkus Reviews, August 1, 2009 (Vol. 77, No. 15))
This adaption of Zuckerman's adult pictorial Creature (2007) uses white backdrops in striking juxtaposition with brilliantly detailed photographs to introduce animals and the ABCs. Children will marvel at the portraits, in which elephant freckles, mandrill stripes and porcupine quills appear in such startling clarity that the animals seem to breathe on the page. The design devotes two double-page spreads to each letter and animal. Young readers encounter upper- and lower-case characters first (Dd), along with an introductory shot. Then a turn of the page reveals the creature's name (dove) and another breathtakingly close picture. The placement of images remains compositionally compelling throughout, with animals appearing in motion, in fragments or relating with another creature. Readers find a glossary in the back, with fascinating facts about each animal embedded in a grid with ample white space and small pictures. Little ones just learning letters won't be able to hold this hefty book on their own, but the large format will make for fantastic lap-sit sessions. Older children won't tire of staring into the eyes and souls of such beautiful, mysterious creatures. 2009, Chronicle, 120p, $19.99. Category: Picture book. Ages 3 to 8. © 2009 Kirkus Reviews/VNU eMedia, Inc. All rights reserved.
(PUBLISHER: Chronicle Books (San Francisco:), PUBLISHED: 2009.)
Response to Two Professional Reviews:
Both reviews show the importance of the like-like and vivid pictures that accompany the letters in the book. They both use the photographs as the main focus of interest and motivation to read the book. Both reviews also hit on the fact that because of the pictures, the book provides opportunity for both learners of the alphabet and older audiences.
Evaluation of Literary Elements:
Creature abc is a capturing book for students who are learning their alphabet. The real pictures of animals in the book are very detailed and focused. By only showing a portion of the animal on the page with the upper and lower case letter and then showing the whole animal on the next page with its name, children have the ability to guess what animal is on the next page. The suspense that turning the page provides for the children is very motivating and rewarding.
Consideration of Instructional Application:
Photography is a wonderful skill to use with young children in order to see the world around them and later relate it to their own learning. In a kindergarten setting, children could photograph objects around them and then discuss with their class which letters they start with. They could also bring in pictures of pets, siblings or toys from home and label them with what letter they start with and their name. They could also get their own pictures and label the letter of their first name and try to put them in alphabetical order!
Reading Log 1
Title: Creature abc
Author: Andrew Zuckerman
Illustrator: Photographs by Andrew Zuckerman
Genre: Alphabet Book
Theme(s): Alphabet, Animals, Photography, Nature
Opening line/sentence:
Aa
alligator
Brief Book Summary:
Creature abc is an wonderful book where animals and the alphabet come to life. The book takes the pattern of showing a portion of the animal with the capital and lower case letter of what it may start with. The next page reveals the animal with its name and spelling. The animal pictures in the book are realistic photographs that have been photographed by the author. The back of the book provides a glossary of the alphabet, animal pictures and descriptions and fun facts of the animals.
Professional Recommendation/Review #1:
Keri Collins Lewis (Children's Literature)
With photographs so vivid it seems like readers could feel the sharpness of the scorpion s tail or the heat of the lion s breath as he roars, Andrew Zuckerman takes the alphabet for a walk on the wild side. Inspired by his popular coffee-table book Creature, this is no ordinary alphabet book. Each letter enjoys inclusion on two spreads to allow prediction of the entry based on the teaser image and letter, which is shown in both upper and lower case. Older children will enjoy unexpected twists in word selection that engage their vocabulary skills and knowledge of the animal world, such as the entry for I, which is accompanied by a photograph of ants. From a scaly alligator claw to a zebra s dashing stripes, Andrew Zuckerman s brilliant studio portraits of a wide variety of familiar and unusual animals, as well as the glossary with its interesting facts, make this alphabet book fascinating to readers of all ages. Teachers can incorporate this book into studies of animals, to launch discussions about texture in art, or for a creative writing project that assigns thoughts or speech to each of the animals based on its body language and facial expression. A sure hit with nature lovers, this engaging collection of images depicts the marvelous wonder of the animal world and will keep children fascinated long after they ve learned their letters. 2009, Chronicle Books LLC, $19.99. Ages 3 to 8.
(PUBLISHER: Chronicle Books (San Francisco:), PUBLISHED: 2009.)
Professional Recommendation/Review #2:
Kirkus (Kirkus Reviews, August 1, 2009 (Vol. 77, No. 15))
This adaption of Zuckerman's adult pictorial Creature (2007) uses white backdrops in striking juxtaposition with brilliantly detailed photographs to introduce animals and the ABCs. Children will marvel at the portraits, in which elephant freckles, mandrill stripes and porcupine quills appear in such startling clarity that the animals seem to breathe on the page. The design devotes two double-page spreads to each letter and animal. Young readers encounter upper- and lower-case characters first (Dd), along with an introductory shot. Then a turn of the page reveals the creature's name (dove) and another breathtakingly close picture. The placement of images remains compositionally compelling throughout, with animals appearing in motion, in fragments or relating with another creature. Readers find a glossary in the back, with fascinating facts about each animal embedded in a grid with ample white space and small pictures. Little ones just learning letters won't be able to hold this hefty book on their own, but the large format will make for fantastic lap-sit sessions. Older children won't tire of staring into the eyes and souls of such beautiful, mysterious creatures. 2009, Chronicle, 120p, $19.99. Category: Picture book. Ages 3 to 8. © 2009 Kirkus Reviews/VNU eMedia, Inc. All rights reserved.
(PUBLISHER: Chronicle Books (San Francisco:), PUBLISHED: 2009.)
Response to Two Professional Reviews:
Both reviews show the importance of the like-like and vivid pictures that accompany the letters in the book. They both use the photographs as the main focus of interest and motivation to read the book. Both reviews also hit on the fact that because of the pictures, the book provides opportunity for both learners of the alphabet and older audiences.
Evaluation of Literary Elements:
Creature abc is a capturing book for students who are learning their alphabet. The real pictures of animals in the book are very detailed and focused. By only showing a portion of the animal on the page with the upper and lower case letter and then showing the whole animal on the next page with its name, children have the ability to guess what animal is on the next page. The suspense that turning the page provides for the children is very motivating and rewarding.
Consideration of Instructional Application:
Photography is a wonderful skill to use with young children in order to see the world around them and later relate it to their own learning. In a kindergarten setting, children could photograph objects around them and then discuss with their class which letters they start with. They could also bring in pictures of pets, siblings or toys from home and label them with what letter they start with and their name. They could also get their own pictures and label the letter of their first name and try to put them in alphabetical order!
July 29, 2013
5* photos - I can see the little barbs on the lions tongue! And the wolf - absolutely magnificent.
3* abc concept
3* abc concept
November 7, 2017
Creature ABC / photographs by Andrew Zuckerman -- San Francisco, CA : Chronicle Books, LLC, c2009. (120 pages)
SUMMARY: With two striking studio portraits for each creature, this one-of-a-kind alphabet book offers a unique, up-close view of the animal kingdom. (bookjacket)
REVIEW: Some of the photographs are very stunning in this album. Some of the choices made for the book were unusual -- like "U" for Underwater and "Y" for Yellow Canary. I enjoyed looking at the pictures, but it wasn't an alphabet book that I would use over and over again.
FORMAT: Large pages with animal photographs on white backgrounds. The letter appears in bold black font in both capital and small case along with a closeup of the animal. When the page is turned another picture of the animal appears along with the word identifying that animal.
NOTE: The photographs used here were part of a photography collection published in a book called CREATURE. The photos were then organized into several children's titles including this one.
FURTHER FUN: Create an alphabet book using magazines to cut out pictures of animals, glue them into a scrap book under the correct letter of the alphabet. Write the name of the animal under the picture.
SUMMARY: With two striking studio portraits for each creature, this one-of-a-kind alphabet book offers a unique, up-close view of the animal kingdom. (bookjacket)
REVIEW: Some of the photographs are very stunning in this album. Some of the choices made for the book were unusual -- like "U" for Underwater and "Y" for Yellow Canary. I enjoyed looking at the pictures, but it wasn't an alphabet book that I would use over and over again.
FORMAT: Large pages with animal photographs on white backgrounds. The letter appears in bold black font in both capital and small case along with a closeup of the animal. When the page is turned another picture of the animal appears along with the word identifying that animal.
NOTE: The photographs used here were part of a photography collection published in a book called CREATURE. The photos were then organized into several children's titles including this one.
FURTHER FUN: Create an alphabet book using magazines to cut out pictures of animals, glue them into a scrap book under the correct letter of the alphabet. Write the name of the animal under the picture.
March 1, 2022
This is very simple with beautiful pictures. Not every letter is the beginning of the name of an animal. I appreciate the descriptive words such as nocturnal or quills or underwater to introduce the letters and animals. I can see the appeal to young children here! I read it with my 8 and 10-year-old daughters. They were racing to see who could name the animal first as each letter came up. I loved it when it threw them for a loop. This happened first with I for insects. My daughter called, "ants!" before she looked at the letter again and was thoroughly confused. Then she got it, of course, as she turned the page for the explanation. Mandrill and Oryx were other tricky ones. Clever and captivating! I now need to find the original coffee table book to enjoy!
October 23, 2020
In this photo-illustrated book, Zuckerman uses animals and animal-related words (like "nocturnal," or "underwater," for example) to go through the alphabet. Letters are presented in upper- and lowercase with a photo, and then the related word and another photo (or photos) is on the next page. There is also a glossary in the back with fun facts relating to each entry. Children will love the clear photography in this one, though I do wish that it was consistent in that every letter was an animal.
June 20, 2017
Fantastic alphabet book with photographs of animals for each letter--usually a teaser is presented with the letter, and then the whole animal is revealed on the next page with the word. I like that a few unexpected animals/words are included--M is for mandrill and N is for nocturnal--kids can learn these words with repeated readings. Only disappointments for using to teach letter sounds is G is for giraffe and C is for chameleon. Beautiful photographs!
October 18, 2023
A very simple alphabet book. The appeal of this one is in the stunning animal photographs, featuring one close-up detailed shot and one full photo of each animal against a plain white backdrop. The letters are large and easy for little fingers to trace. My kids have all loved guessing what creature goes with each letter, based on the close-up shots, though some are much easier than others!
October 9, 2017
This is a beautiful alphabet book that will reach children through the fascinating photos of animals, big and small, and beautiful.
December 6, 2017
Book of teaching kids the alphabet using amazing pictures of animals. Great photography used.
December 30, 2017
This is the type of children's book to give as a gift for design-forward parents; appealing though clean-design. I enjoyed this more than my baby.
January 29, 2018
This alphabet features creatures/animals from A for alligator to z. Illustrations are photos that range from close-ups to far away shots. Good addition to alphabet books with appeal to those who love animals.
February 14, 2018
Simple and beautiful. The coolest, black and white, animal photography alphabet book ever!
October 13, 2018
Wonderful vocabulary
Perfect for preschool
Perfect for preschool
November 4, 2018
We need more X words. Some of these are cop outs, like insect, but still. It's cute.
September 8, 2019
Beautiful photography of animals depicting the alphabet. There were some strange choices for some of the letters. My grandson enjoyed it.
January 31, 2022
Super cute book
February 26, 2025
High-quality photographs of animals from A to Z.
August 21, 2025
So cute for little animal lovers!
March 18, 2017
A fun ABC book!
December 4, 2019
Genre: Nonfiction: concept book
Awards: none
Audience: prek-1st grade
A. The topic of this book is the alphabet.
B. The author presents this book in a child friendly way by making it easy to read with minimal text. The author created this book so that the pictures help the reader read the story.
C. The text features that are present in this book is, very minimal text in a large font, and large pictures, with a white background. These features make this book suitable for very beginner readers.
D. This book could be used one-on-one with a young child that is learning the alphabet.
Awards: none
Audience: prek-1st grade
A. The topic of this book is the alphabet.
B. The author presents this book in a child friendly way by making it easy to read with minimal text. The author created this book so that the pictures help the reader read the story.
C. The text features that are present in this book is, very minimal text in a large font, and large pictures, with a white background. These features make this book suitable for very beginner readers.
D. This book could be used one-on-one with a young child that is learning the alphabet.
February 19, 2013
I liked this book more at the beginning than I did at the end. I know it's hard to think of an item to go with every letter of the alphabet, whether it's a book about animals, fruits, or whatever. I liked the fact that the author used this opportunity to present groups of animals ("N" was used for "nocturnal, for example.) But at the end, it just got weird. "X" showed us "oryx"- that's fine. "X" is hard. But for "Y", we're presented with "yellow canary." What? How lazy is that? What happened to yaks? It can't be because little kids may not be aware of yaks...because how many toddlers do you know that have heard of an oryx before, or a mandrill? It reminded me of the episode of "House" where the good doctor is treating a teen with a neurological problem- he asks the boy to list as many animals as he can that begin with the letter "B". After a moment of silence, the teen offers "....baby elephant?"
I know I sound nit-picky, but I love books about animals, and this one ended on an odd note. I thought it would be great, but I don't think I'll be adding it to my collection.
I know I sound nit-picky, but I love books about animals, and this one ended on an odd note. I thought it would be great, but I don't think I'll be adding it to my collection.
September 17, 2015
I chose this as my ABC picture book. At the beginning, I liked it. For every letter, there is a close up body part of an animal who's name starts with whatever letter is being featured. Then, you turn the page, and the name of the animal and a full picture is shown. There were some pictures I really liked and think kids would enjoy seeing, but overall this book was a little bland. It's mostly in black and white, even some of the photos. I feel like making the pages different colors or something would have given it more of a "wow" factor and kept kids from possibly losing interest halfway through the book. There were some really cool pictures of certain animals such as the scorpion, hippo or little tiger cubs, but some of the letters seemed a little like a cop-out, such as using "underwater" for the letter U. That didn't go along with the rest of the single animal theme. This book was okay, but could have been better.
December 12, 2010
Zuckerman has created an amazing ABC book, based on his adult coffee-table book Creature. Animal are photographed in crisp, vivid details, against stark white backgrounds. First, you read just the letter and see one photograph of the animal. Young readers will try to guess the animal name. On the next page, you read the animal name and see another striking photograph of the animal. Throughout, the animals are photographed in striking poses full of movement or placed in interesting compositions focusing on a particular detail. Preschoolers will have trouble holding this thick book on their laps, but they will come back to it again and again. Older children, far beyond typical ABC books, will be fascinated by the photographs. In our local library, every single copy is checked out.
October 25, 2009
If Zuckerman were only the author of this book, he would have little call for pride in his accomplishment; the entire text of the book consists of less than fifty words, all of which are simply labels to the photographs (though I suppose, if you count the glossary at the end, we might up that to about four hundred.)
But it's not the text that draws you to the book. It's the photographs. They are, in a word, brilliant. Alive. Vivid. A surprise here and there. (What does he use for "u", you might ask. A surprise.)
So a good review of this book might simply be a series of photographs, with an accompanying label. Perhaps it might start like this:
Aa astonishing
Bb breathtaking...
Okay, you get the idea. Marvelous work.
But it's not the text that draws you to the book. It's the photographs. They are, in a word, brilliant. Alive. Vivid. A surprise here and there. (What does he use for "u", you might ask. A surprise.)
So a good review of this book might simply be a series of photographs, with an accompanying label. Perhaps it might start like this:
Aa astonishing
Bb breathtaking...
Okay, you get the idea. Marvelous work.
February 5, 2015
Andrew Zuckerman did a pretty good job with Creature abc, however there were somethings I disagreed with. The book goes through each letter showing part of an animal that starts with that letter and then the name of the animal and the word on the next page. It does this for the entire alphabet, A through Z. I loved the sneak peak of the animal before you learn its name and the pictures of the animals because they were so detailed. I did not like how the book was consistent until the letter X when the animal's name did not start with an X. The letter was X and the animal was oryx, I just felt it would be confusing to children. The facts about the animals in the back was great though. Overall, a pretty good book but I wouldn't use it in the classroom.
May 10, 2016
An elegant addition to any library, this deluxe alphabet book features 120 pages of Andrew Zuckerman's breathtaking wildlife photography. From alligator to zebra, each featured animal boasts two striking studio portraits against a clean white background, offering a unique up-close view of the animal kingdom. Readers can flip to a helpful glossary in the back for extra information. From the sleek beauty of a smiling hippo to the powerful majesty of a roaring lion, this gorgeous new bookis both a stunning work of art and a ferociously fun way for young animal-lovers to learn their ABCs.
Notes
Andrew Zuckerman has created an inspiring body of work for anyone fascinated by the wonders of the world around us. He lives in New York, where he works as a photographer and film director.
Notes
Andrew Zuckerman has created an inspiring body of work for anyone fascinated by the wonders of the world around us. He lives in New York, where he works as a photographer and film director.
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