Horn Book (Wed Apr 01 00:00:00 CDT 2009)

In this alphabet book, the twenty-six paintings and sculptures inspired by words beginning with the target letter are for art aficionados, not letter learners. While the artworks are first-rate, the presentation (photographs paired with alliterative sentences) is inconsistent: some pieces form letter shapes or include easily recognizable objects while others are more obscure. An introduction explains the intriguing concept.

Kirkus Reviews

Johnson laces an exhilarating visual exploration of 20th-century art history with alliterative A-to-Z wordplay. The 26 paintings and sculptures, some gallery-sized in scope, cleverly combine specific objects, letterforms and even paint hues—all with names beginning with the illustrated letter. T's double spread, the three-paneled painting "Triptych," features "[t]hick-textured titanium paint" and "[t]en teal blue thumbprints" and includes tracing paper and tape—a "tiny three-dimensional toy to tease out trains of thought." The mix of media, visual problem-solving and stylistic derivations (Stuart Davis, Motherwell, de Kooning and others are invoked) make this a terrific springboard for student art extensions. Each composition usually sports the inclusion of the spread's featured letter, with occasional, rather fey textual allusions to "misplaced" letters: "(The omitted letter O occupies the upper left on the opposite page.)" A poignant author's note invites readers to contemplate two disparate art pieces from Johnson's youth, and a visual "index" reveals media, dimensions and a hidden letter key for each piece. Enigmatic and absorbing. (Informational picture book. 6-12)

Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

Baby Einstein grads seeking their first coffee-table book might savor this abecedary, which pays homage to abstract expressionism and pop art. Johnson (<EMPHASIS TYPE=""ITALIC"">Alphabet City) creates a multimedia artwork for each letter and describes it with a lengthy alliterative caption. Letter C’s “Camouflage” consists of “countless colorful candies” in a “clear circular container.” In H’s “Hoopla,” an installation of silvery-blue hula hoops hangs from an industrial ceiling, while M’s “Meditation on the Memory of a Princess” references fairy tales with eight stacked magenta mattresses and a “mini mauve marble.” Connoisseurs will detect allusions to Rauschenberg, Lichtenstein and Motherwell; details of the pieces sometimes become microscopic on the pages, but a dust-jacket photo of Johnson in his studio confirms this project’s impressive scope. Unfortunately, salient associations can be lost in transition to page with the reduction of scale. Crisp white backgrounds reinforce the book’s resemblance to an exhibition catalogue, as does a disconcertingly lofty foreword where Johnson explains, “I took ordinary objects and made them unfamiliar, removing functionality in order to reveal their potential metaphorical associations.” The apparatus may not enhance the ABC game, but opens the book to an adult audience. Ages 5–9. <EMPHASIS TYPE=""ITALIC"">(Sept.)

School Library Journal (Mon Sep 01 00:00:00 CDT 2008)

Gr 3 Up-This exciting alphabetic compendium began with a dictionary. Following years of study and work as a realistic painter, Johnson found himself wanting to explore abstract art. He started by collecting words for each letter of the alphabet. Then, he created a piece based on their meanings. For example, the caption for Dotty Diptych reads "Densely distributed dominoes, divided by dark and light dots on dual panels, disappear under drips of dramatically dashed paint dribbling downwards." Inside the white border of the page is the vivid reproduction of two wooden panels covered in dominoes. As with each of the 26 works of art, there is more to be discovered. Here, yellow and white paint covers some of the dominoes, transforming everyday game pieces into dimpled bricks. Also, Johnson has hidden a letter of the alphabet in most of his creations. The works vary from paintings and collages to sculptures to installations, and an index reveals the locations of the hidden letters as well as dimensions and materials for the pieces. Children will enjoy seeing everyday objects like candy used in his creations, and will no doubt be inspired to come up with some abstract art of their own. This book may easily spark discussions about what can be used to make art and who decides what it is. In an author's note, Johnson shares his thoughts on this matter. For more inspiration, see Joyce Raimondo's What's the Big Idea? Activities and Adventures in Abstract Art (Watson-Guptill, 2008). Lisa Glasscock, Columbine Public Library, Littleton, CO