A Fabulous Fair Alphabet

May 17, 2010
Frasier (A Birthday Cake Is No Ordinary Cake) has hold of a terrific idea: find photographic examples of all 26 letters of the alphabet amid the garish typography of state fairs. Many of the letters are studded with light bulbs; others suggest the plumpness of a corn dog, or, like a fast-talking carnival hawker, hold out the promise of an unforgettable experience with extravagant serifs, racy scripts, or jaunty two-tone coloring. Frasier then uses the letters in thematic collages—paired with images of fairgoers, animals, and souvenirs—that celebrate aspects of the fair that begin with each letter. Thus Fs become the seats on a Ferris wheel and Ss stand in for children on a giant wavy slide. Visually, the colorful and cluttered spreads evoke the energy of the fair (particularly a "midway nights" spread against a royal blue sky). However, the letters often feel like confetti, rather than being intrinsic to the scenes. "Yawning" and "Zucchini" are a fairly anticlimactic end to the book, but there's at least a hint of the smells and tastes of funnel cakes and cotton candy to be found. All ages.

April 15, 2010
Preschool-G Frasier shows that there is a dizzying array of words to be found amid the visual cacophony of the fairgrounds. Using an abecedarian format, she presents common sights and experiences at a county or state fair, pairing each letter with a word that fits into a common category, such as signs (eXit), objects (Holstein), activities (Eat Everything), and a viewers reaction (Unbelievable). Some form of explanatory notes would have provided helpful context, especially for children who have never been to a fair. The illustrations are eye-catching, though. Paper-collage scenes mix with photographed letters, in a variety of boldly colored fonts, which are cut and pasted in a style that suggests ransom notes. In each busy spread, the featured letter appears many times (the letter A shows up more than 80 times on the opening spread, for example), creating an interactive find-and-seek game as children try to spot and count each one. For slightly older kids, suggest Ted Lewins Fair (1997).(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2010, American Library Association.)