The Utter Zoo Alphabet

by Edward Gorey

Booklet with a collection of 30 postcards featuring art works of the Masters. 5 x 7 size.

Genres: Art, Humor, Fiction, Picture Books, Graphic Novels, Poetry, Childrens

64 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1967

About the author

Born in Chicago, Gorey came from a colourful family; his parents, Helen Dunham Garvey and Edward Lee Gorey, divorced in 1936 when he was 11, then remarried in 1952 when he was 27. One of his step-mothers was Corinna Mura, a cabaret singer who had a brief role in the classic film Casablanca. His father was briefly a journalist. Gorey's maternal great-grandmother, Helen St. John Garvey, was a popular 19th century greeting card writer/artist, from whom he claimed to have inherited his talents. He attended a variety of local grade schools and then the Francis W. Parker School. He spent 1944–1946 in the Army at Dugway Proving Ground in Utah, and then attended Harvard University from 1946 to 1950, where he studied French and roomed with future poet Frank O'Hara.

Although he would frequently state that his formal art training was "negligible", Gorey studied art for one semester at The School of The Art Institute of Chicago in 1943, eventually becoming a professional illustrator. From 1953 to 1960, he lived in New York City and worked for the Art Department of Doubleday Anchor, illustrating book covers and in some cases adding illustrations to the text. He has illustrated works as diverse as Dracula by Bram Stoker, The War of the Worlds by H. G. Wells, and Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats by T. S. Eliot. In later years he illustrated many children's books by John Bellairs, as well as books in several series begun by Bellairs and continued by other authors after his death.

Reviews

[Calista · Rating 5 out of 5]

A kids book using the alphabet to come up with weird and strange monsters. I did read this to the nephew and this was his kind of weird. He loved it. He didn’t know what these things were, but he thought they were weird and that was good to him.

I love the couplet that goes with each drawing. It’s nice to see Gorey’s work again. I rarely tire of it.

The nephew gave this 5* and he wants to see more. You betcha.

From Amphigorey Also

[Drew Canole · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rhyming couplets about creepy imaginary animals.

[ke-sha · Rating 5 out of 5]

You ever just want ALL THE CUTE ANIMALS!!!


Yeah, you know you do :)

[Emma Bohn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the kind of weird and whimsical children's book I would've absolutely loved as a kid! The way Gorey effortlessly plays with language is so fun to read (eben as an adult) and the accompanying illustrations are the cherry on top.

[Catherine Elliott · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my faves. (I'm a Goreyphile.)

[Claire · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you're looking for a relatable protagonist, this book has twenty-six.

[Kamil Henri · Rating 4 out of 5]

9/10

[John Whipple · Rating 5 out of 5]

"The Fidknop is devoid of feeling; it drifts about beneath the ceiling."

This is classic Gorey, an alphabetical list of rhyming couplets that introduces a menagerie of creatures that are both unusual yet quite familiar. I have certainly met my fair share of creatures with large claws and character flaws, to cite one description. Not much on narrative, but this is another delightfully odd read from Mr. EG.

[Jamie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love the Z entry.

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another fun alphabet book by Gorey, though I prefer the Gashlycrumb Tinies...

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this as a kid. Loved it.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very cute.

[Lindsay · Rating 5 out of 5]

A charming alphabet that only Gorey could render with his witty prose and signature artwork.

[Lauren Burnham · Rating 4 out of 5]

So much fun to read to a kid that is the right age... The right age depends on the kid :)

[Mckinley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Made up critters in black and white line drawings. Typical Gorey style.

[Manuel Niemann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Schöner Kurzweil, schon zwei Mal gelesen.

[Cindy Roa · Rating 3 out of 5]

😂😂😂😂 this is such a dark sense of humor, oh God.

[Honesty · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like Dr. Seuss meets the Addams Family. Utterly enjoyable!

[είναι η θεία Κούλα · Rating 5 out of 5]

The ombledroom is vast and white, and therefore visible by night.
Αυτό.

[Chris Browning · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sort of a perfect example of the kind of book only Gorey could create - there’s a lovely tension between the imaginative wealth of ideas in the text and the simplicity of the images that looks really simple but in the wrong hands would just end up trite (yes, alright, I’m talking about Flanimals which just looks lazy and unimaginative compared to this glorious book)

[Nitoy Gonzales · Rating 5 out of 5]

My second book from Edward Gorey and this one is pretty good. I like the concept of a postcard and for sure with this kind of book, no one will give the postcards away. I love the cover art and the content that are weird. Reminds me of the creatures in "Fantastic Beast and Where to Find them".

[Ted · Rating 4 out of 5]

A late comer to Gorey, I've become enamored by his books and illustrations.

[Jeannette · Rating 5 out of 5]

About the Zoat, what can be said? There was just one, and now it's dead.

[Annika · Rating 5 out of 5]

Edward Gorey can do no wrong in my opinion. Fantastic line drawings and clever, dark rhymes.

[Canavan · Rating 3 out of 5]

✭✭✭

[Lasette · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute.

[wen☆˚✧⁎⁺˳✧༚彡 · Rating 3 out of 5]

meh

[Emmy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed Gorey's quirky, absurd animal creations. It made for fun reading and I really enjoyed the pictures.

[Branwynne · Rating 4 out of 5]

An utter joy :)

[Danna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Delightful!