THE HIDDEN ALPHABET
Written and illustrated by Laura Vaccaro Seeger
A Neal Porter Book/Holiday House/September 2024
(Other editions: 1st edition/October 2003, 2nd edition/December 2010)
First published in 2003, and now reissued by popular demand, here is a fresh and imaginative way to look at the alphabet. Turn to the first page of this book a and you’ll be greeted by a picture of an arrowhead, surrounded by a simple black frame. Once you lift the frame you’ll find that the arrowhead is magically transformed into the letter A. And so it goes, from Balloons, Clouds, and Door though Leaf, and Mice to Yoke and Zipper.
Bold distinctive images and a simple yet ingenious format make this an alphabet book to treasure.
(awards)
American Library Association Notable Children’s Book, 2004
Child Magazine Best Books of 2003
New York Public Library Best Books for Giving and Sharing, 2003
NBC Today Show Best Books for Gift Giving, 2003
Kirkus Best Books of 2003
Children’s Literature Choices Best Books, 2004
Capitol Choices Noteworthy Book for Children, 2004
CCBC Choices Best Books of 2003
Eric Carle Museum Picture Book of Distinction, 2003
(reviews)
starred review/Kirkus Reviews
“An outstanding alphabet book… Each page comes as an ingenious surprise… Beautifully designed, fascinating to browse and eminently successful.”
starred review/Publishers Weekly
“An artful ABC… A sophisticated presentation… The design is unerringly elegant.”
starred review/School Library Journal
“HIDDEN ALPHABET is a visual delight… Seeger’s sophisticated paintings make this a fascinating artistic experience as well as a learning opportunity.”
Horn Book
“A concept book with a capital C… This is great bookmaking, and a
snazzy-though sophisticated-addition to the alphabet bookshelf.“
Booklist
“Striking graphic design… A book that manages to be both child friendly and visually exciting.”
Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
“Each page is executed with polish and panache…This is begging for use in art class.”