ABC USA

Starred review from April 25, 2005
French artist Jarrie brings a fresh perspective to this engaging alphabet book, which doubles as an illustrated geographical, historical and cultural tour of the United States. His images form a comprehensive catalogue of Americana: "B is for baseball/ C is for cars/ D is for the Declaration of Independence." Even the art style is uniquely American: flattened perspectives applied with earth-toned paints layered on wood emulate the folk-art style of Colonial times. A few of the examples beg for explanation, either because their particular connection to America is unclear ("A is for alligator"; "O is for oranges"), or because the reference may be obscure ("X is for X-roads"), but Jarrie provides a four-page addendum in which he offers additional factual background. (He explains that "The American alligator is the largest reptile in North America" and that "X-roads" refers to the crossroads of highways 49 and 61 in the Mississippi Delta.) Jarrie clothes his characteristically elongated human figures in regional and period garb: the jockeys at the Kentucky Derby (K) wear their uniforms while a spectator dons a fancy dress and hat; a Native American wears blue jeans and a headband as he paints Navajo (N) artwork (the appendix discusses the Navajos' crucial role as code talkers during WWII); and folks travel by covered wagon in the Smoky Mountains (S) decked out in fur hats. With hallmarks such as the Empire State Building, the Liberty Bell and the Grand Canyon (plus a host of human contributors), this book offers a dignified representation of the country, A to Z. Ages 3-8

May 1, 2005
K-Gr 5 -Jarrie presents an eclectic array of objects, events, and activities, each of which is somehow representative of American history or culture. With the exception of "Z is for Zydeco," the choices are all fairly traditional: "B is for baseball," "F is for flag," "I is for immigrants," etc. However, the artwork, done in a whimsical folk-art style, is unique. Elongated figures and shapes predominate, and page layouts vary from simple figures taking center stage to collages of images that relate to the chosen idea. Changing background colors keep the eye entertained. A glossary explains the featured choices. This book will have more use as a presentation of artistic style and technique or as a startup for a discussion of American diversity than it will as standard alphabet fare. -"Grace Oliff, Ann Blanche Smith School, Hillsdale, NJ"

Copyright 2005 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

February 15, 2005
K-Gr. 2. Illustrator Jarrie may be French, but his take on the ABCs is purely American. Employing a folk-art style, he highlights one letter of the alphabet per page, illustrating it with a quintessentially U.S. idea and image. " B" is for baseball, and a glove and ball stand out against a distressed wood background with a pitcher and hitter also decorating the page. On the page for the letter " I," immigrants standing at the bow of a boat look out on Ellis Island; the facing page, celebrating " J" for jazz, has pictures of musicians and a singer. A couple of the choices seem a little off; especially the alligator that represents " A," but a key at the back with thumbnail reprints of the art gives a bit of information about the images (the alligator is the official reptile of Florida). Jarrie's figures look like country wood carvings, and he manages to give an amazing amount of depth to simple shapes (a flag curls like a ribbon) and even more to objects with statuesque dimensions such as the cliffs of the Grand Canyon. The deceptively childlike look of the artwork makes this a natural for a young audience.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2005, American Library Association.)