Ultimate Alphabet Complete Edition
Product ID: 48460197
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The artist Mike Wilks set out in the 1980s to depict as many words as possible in twenty-six images corresponding to the alphabet. His four-year painting odyssey resulted in a suite of magnificent compilations, all minutely detailed, masterfully rendered, and slightly surreal. Each image contains hundreds of items all starting with the same letter. The reader need not go crazy, however, trying to name all of the words represented in the images (at last count, 7,825!). Numbered line drawings accompanied by lists of words serve as keys to the paintings. The images in this book were first published in 1986 in the best-selling The Ultimate Alphabet, and later in The Annotated Ultimate Alphabet, in which keys to the images were included. Now, The Ultimate Alphabet: Complete Edition brings these two volumes together in this deluxe slipcase edition. One volume presents the paintings with introductory text by the artist; the other offers the keyed drawings and alphabetical lists of words. Review: As good as I remembered - My father owned the original Ultimate Alphabet (without annotations) at the time of its release in the 1980s, and I grew up with it. As an adult (and a teacher), I decided to purchase my own copy and it is as good as I remembered, if not better. 1 beautiful, detailed painting for each letter of the alphabet, including anywhere between 80 and 600 things beginning with that letter. It is a great way to combine the i-Spy format with art appreciation and vocabulary. I find the annotated version more satisfying, as I am able to check my answers and find out the names of some of the things I never could identify in the pictures, extending my knowledge. I can't believe it has not been reprinted, although I did discover that there is an Ultimate Alphabet i-Pad app/game! Review: An absolute joy of a picture book for children and their grown-ups. - Brilliant book and hours of fun as my 6 year old twin granddaughters sit entranced pouring over the pages and intent on discovering the items linked to each letter of the Alphabet. Their Mum and her sister were just the same and adored this book. Pages full of detailed drawings. Fascinating!
| Best Sellers Rank | 30,835 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) 45 in Individual Artist Monographs 198 in Painting (Books) |
| Customer Reviews | 4.6 out of 5 stars 181 Reviews |
M**S
As good as I remembered
My father owned the original Ultimate Alphabet (without annotations) at the time of its release in the 1980s, and I grew up with it. As an adult (and a teacher), I decided to purchase my own copy and it is as good as I remembered, if not better. 1 beautiful, detailed painting for each letter of the alphabet, including anywhere between 80 and 600 things beginning with that letter. It is a great way to combine the i-Spy format with art appreciation and vocabulary. I find the annotated version more satisfying, as I am able to check my answers and find out the names of some of the things I never could identify in the pictures, extending my knowledge. I can't believe it has not been reprinted, although I did discover that there is an Ultimate Alphabet i-Pad app/game!
L**H
An absolute joy of a picture book for children and their grown-ups.
Brilliant book and hours of fun as my 6 year old twin granddaughters sit entranced pouring over the pages and intent on discovering the items linked to each letter of the Alphabet. Their Mum and her sister were just the same and adored this book. Pages full of detailed drawings. Fascinating!
N**H
Fantastic book
My son had a copy of this book when he was younger. He was recently talking about how much he loved it and would love another copy. I found this beautiful hard back set with the original book and an annotated version for him for Christmas. Now my younger son loves it too
R**.
A nice gift for someone who likes puzzles
This actually consists of two books in a cardboard binder. One is a puzzle book with 26 illustrations in which the puzzle is to identify all the items in the illustration whose names start with a particular letter, and the other book contains the solutions. It's fun if you like that sort of puzzle, but they are quite hard and some of the words quite obscure. I think this purchase was a second one that I bought to give to a friend. The bespectacled man who appears in quite a lot of the pictures seems to be a self-portrait of tha author.
B**Y
An old Favourite
The family owned this book when my children were young but it somehow got mislaid over the years. Now that we have grandchildren it was remembered as a real family favourite so i bought it again to hopefully keep this time and entertain a new generation with its wealth of information.
A**R
For long term interest. Magnifying glass will help 😂 An absolute delight !
Incredible graphics and huge level of detail. Perfect for winter months..
H**L
So helpful!
Like many others I purchased the original 5 stars as well!. To see an annotated copy is great. We didn't do it too seriously but it is very interesting to see all the actual items listed and identified. Great buy at 1p as well!!!
A**O
Fascinating Book
An absolutely fascinating book, with hours of amusement. Delivered on time.
M**T
A book like no others.
A book that anyone can enjoy having. Buy one if you find it
A**S
The ultimate alphabet
Cómprenlo, sin duda alguna. Magníficas ilustraciones para toda la familia.
B**E
Worth the money if you can afford it or want to entertain the kids on a long trip!
Worth the purchase! Good for all ages! Has things to find for the adults too. It's kept me sane in a hotel while taking a break from reading. I've chosen to not mark my book (as it did cost so much) for future uses or anyone who wants to have a peek as well.
L**K
What a fun book
I received my Alphabet book in excellent condition and in good time. I started right away to find all the words in the drawings and I find it is quite addictive. What I like the most is not only learning all kinds of new words but admiring the gorgeous drawings. The book is on my coffee table and when I take a break I get busy finding more and more words. This book is a must for anyone who loves to learn and admire beautiful works of art.
M**Y
Amazing book
I bought this book for my daughter so as to help her develop her vocabulary and aid her learning. Needless to say that the book completely blew my mind. There are tons of words in the book which will be new even for adults. I must say that this book must be in the library of all the schools. One of the best present for any children in the range of 3-18. Go for it!
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