Amy Krouse Rosenthal creates books for children (such as this one),
books for adults (such as Encyclopedia of an Ordinary Life), and
tiny films (such as The Beckoning of Lovely). She lives on a
tree-lined street with her family in Chicago.
Gracia Lam is an illustrator born in Hong Kong and raised in
Toronto, Canada. She likes to reinvent everyday objects and mundane
environments. This is her first children's book.
"The wordplay is delightful, and somehow, perhaps in part by
embracing the restriction of using just three letters, Rosenthal
conveys a message of gratitude for all the wonder that can be found
if you really dig into the repetitive routines of our days. Lam's
soft digital art has a retro inflection, but each page is a marvel
of freewheeling graphic design, with curvy lines echoing one
another and subtle patterning everywhere. Like every alphabet book,
the art really matters, since what you see on the page has no
organic or predictable relation to a story: You have to pause to
figure out what is going on. It's fantastic that the time you spend
looking at these pages is so full of enchantment."
?The New York Times "Rosenthal again demonstrates her ability to
use wordplay to create stories with real emotional depth as she
follows children through a day, described only in three-word, A-B-C
phrases... Illustrator Lam's debut couldn't be more polished and
confident: her palette seems to shift with the day's waxing and
waning light, while her crisp, screenprintlike images have an
understated poise and precision that highlights the quiet magic of
everyday moments."
?Publishers Weekly (starred review) "Toronto illustrator Gracia Lam
lends her artistic talent to American author Amy Krouse Rosenthal's
gorgeous and whimsical picture book, which uses the first three
letters of the alphabet as the jumping-off point for a series of
three-word phrases describing everyday events. A birthday party
scene features Lam's stylized, retro-tinged illustrations rendered
in ombr� pinks and purples and Rosenthal's quirky wordplay:
'Another Bright Candle, ' 'Atop Birthday Cake, ' 'Amazing Balloon
Creation.' Awake Beautiful Child is a visual treat, and a fun twist
on the alphabet book."
?Quill & Quire "Beginning with a morning stretch and ending with a
flick of the bedroom light switch, readers follow various children
in their daily routines. The entire text is composed of three-word
phrases that begin with the consecutive letters A, B, and C. Some
are simple lists: "Apples, Bananas, Cantaloupes" at the breakfast
table, or "Ants, Butterflies, Caterpillars" during a walk. But
others are beautiful reminders ("Always Be Curious") or silly words
of wisdom ("Avoid Blinking?Cheese!" during a photograph)."
?Kirkus "Lovely."
?The Boston Globe "Inspirational."
?Booklist
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