MY FIRST BOOK OF FANCY LETTERS

Each letter of the alphabet gets fresh and fancy in this primer from typography guru Hische.

“Letters can be A-for-Athletic,” “J-for-Jeweled,” or “U-for-Unique,” but one thing’s for sure: “Each and every letter is AWESOME!” On each page, lowercase letters are rendered in pastel 3D block lettering, while uppercase counterparts take on stylized typographic pizzazz to match the descriptive text, which features lively adjectives that begin with the corresponding letter. Each anthropomorphized letter has a simple, expressive doodled face and stick limbs. Lowercase b uses a tiny bubble wand to blow a soapy, uppercase bubbly B. Uppercase M is drawn with curling serifs and a rabbit-filled top hat and a wand, much to the delight of the lowercase m spectator. Each scene is colorfully detailed, though visually a bit flattened by the stark white background. While the design is inspired, however, it isn’t clear who this book is intended for. The intricacies of the art may go over the heads of readers learning their ABCs; older children and typography-loving adults, as well as fans of Hische’s work, feel like this book’s true audience. Those readers may find the presentation and format a bit on the young side, while preschoolers will likely struggle with words such as vibrant, prickly, and electric.

A charmingly illustrated and designed work that will have trouble finding its readership.