ALA Booklist (Thu Apr 01 00:00:00 CDT 2010)

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 viewer's 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 Lewin's Fair (1997).

Horn Book

Cotton candy, Ferris wheels, Holsteins, lemonade, games, tractors, and more--this lively and colorful alphabet book brings to life the sights, smells, tastes, and sounds of a fun-filled day at the fair. Photographs of fancy and light-adorned letters of fair midway signs happily decorate the pages and also spell out the labels for the intricate primary-colored collages. Energetic dot patterns mimic the lights.

Kirkus Reviews

For kids who have never been to a country fair, this montage of alphabet letters in various graphic styles that represent items and impressions of a fair may, like a first-time midway experience, be sensory overload. The intentionally frenetic page design is a visual cacophony of primary colors that pop on white backgrounds. The flat dimension of the vividly colored collages, created primarily from photographs Frasier took of letters on signs at a fair, creates a poster-like effect. Many word choices will not surprise either fairgoers or alphabet-book lovers—Q for quilts, C for cotton candy, T for tractor. Others are a stretch—D for dill pickle, O for outstanding (depicted as blue-ribbon winners of baked goods), U for unbelievable (sideshow acts), V for vegetables and Z for zucchini (a mother holds her blue ribbon while her son sleeps beside her). X is for eXit. At their very best, the compositions are downright inspired: Linked Rs in a variety of styles zoom up and down the roller coaster. All together, this themed abecedary whirls like a Ferris wheel. (Picture book. 7-10)

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

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%E2%80%94paired with images of fairgoers, animals, and souvenirs%E2%80%94that 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. (June)

School Library Journal (Tue Jun 01 00:00:00 CDT 2010)

K-Gr 6 This alphabet book is not just about words that begin with the 26 letters; it's also a graphic display of the myriad fonts found at a fair. Pages display many samples for each letter, both upper and lowercase, with one subject per letter. For example, "B" shows a bold red outline of a BARN and a black silhouette of a horse at the door with the structure filled with collage-style Bs. Despite the flat graphic style, the pages seem to sparkle and blink with the bright lights of a midway. The endpapers are bold collages of photos of signs at fairs. As alphabet books go, this one is delightful. As graphic art goes, it's alive with evocative, almost magical examples. Readers will be delighted with the images of fun and games, rides and blue ribbons, food and prizes. Pair this book with Lisa Campbell Ernst's The Turn-Around, Upside-Down Alphabet Book (S & S, 2004) or David Pelletier's The Graphic Alphabet (Scholastic, 1996) to introduce children to the delights of shapes and fonts. Introduce basic design concepts with books such as Mark Gonyea's A Book About Design: Complicated Doesn't Make It Good (Holt, 2005) or other graphically illustrated titles such as those by Lois Ehlert or Linnea Riley. Mary Hazelton, Elementary Schools in Warren & Waldoboro, ME