Ab@c - by Rob Meyerson & Dan Misdea (Hardcover)

About the Book

This is a book of gramograms, little word puzzles where letters, numbers, and everyday symbols are spoken out loud to form words and sentences. These days, with the ubiquitousness of shorthand texting and the familiar "at" symbol in email addresses, we all have a bit more gramogram experience, whether we realize it or not. AB@C is filled with all-new gramograms--new words, new settings, and a few new symbols--and each one is illustrated with a New Yorker-style cartoon that gives comedic context for the caption. (For instance, the book's cover art, a drawing of a bumblebee on a ship in the ocean, helps reveal the translation of AB@C: "A bee at sea.")

Book Synopsis

This is a book of gramograms, little word puzzles where letters, numbers, and everyday symbols are spoken out loud to form words and sentences. Gramograms have been around for ages, but the first person to pair them with drawings was New Yorker cartoonist William Steig, in his classic 1968 book CDB! (See the Bee!). These days, with the ubiquitousness of shorthand texting and the familiar "at" symbol in email addresses, we all have a bit more gramogram experience, whether we realize it or not. AB@C builds on the form that Steig revolutionized with all-new gramograms--new words, new settings, and a few new symbols--each accompanied by a New Yorker-style cartoon that gives comedic context for the caption. (For instance, the book's cover art, a drawing of a bumblebee in a boat on the ocean, helps reveal the translation of AB@C: "A bee at sea.")

Review Quotes

"As a huge fan of Wiliam Steig, I love this fun book full of lovely drawings paired with clever gramograms." --Liza Donnelly, New Yorker cartoonist and writer

"AB@C is pure read-aloud fun!" --Jon Agee, author of Otto: A Palindrama

"I was almost as good at deciphering these gramograms as I am at getting a O-L N 1 when I golf. But I certainly had more fun trying to decode them than I ever have putting." --Emma Allen, Cartoon Editor at The New Yorker

"I loved CDB as a kid. Dan Misdea and Rob Meyerson match Steig's wit with each cartoon. It's endless fun deciphering each sentence and laughing out loud. I could read a million more, so get to it, Dan and Rob." --Ellis Rosen, New Yorker cartoonist and author of Dink!

"A satisfying scratch to the brains of those who revel at the ikigai of punnery, word games, grammar, typography, and illustration. ... Intellectually stimulating and entertaining yet bite-sized the gramograms within these pages will appeal to fans of Gary Larson, Norton Juster, and Bob Eckstein." --Jess Zafarris, author of Once Upon a Word and Words from Hell

About the Author

Rob Meyerson has made a career of playing with words. As a brand consultant, he specializes in naming--finding, combining, modifying, and manufacturing just the right words to name companies and products. Rob is principal and founder of Heirloom, an independent brand strategy and identity firm, and author of Brand Naming. He lives in California with his wife and two children.

Illustrator Dan Misdea is a cartoonist for The New Yorker. His work has also appeared in Air Mail, Narrative, Reader's Digest, Weekly Humorist, The Golfer's Journal, and elsewhere. He is the author of the children's book The Light Inside and has contributed to anthologies such as New Jersey Fan Club and Send Help! Dan lives in New Jersey.