Book Synopsis

From the weird and wonderful imagination of an amazing new artist comes an alphabet book like no other. Kids will delight in discovering animals from A to Z living together in an old Victorian mansion. They'll meet an elephant in the ballroom playing with a model train, an octopus hanging from the foyer chandelier --- and even a zebra enjoying a soak in the bathtub!

Using watercolours and colored pencils, Wallace Edwards has created a bizarre and luxurious world, rich in texture and detail. An engaging mix of art and alphabet book, Alphabeasts provides the basis for hours of animated discussion and quiet contemplation.

Review Quotes

...[A] highly original and most appealing ABCDarium ... clever, arresting and thought-provoking through to Z.--Globe & Mail

Edwards ... lets his beautiful, mysterious pictures operate on the imagination as they will.--Quill & Quire, Starred Review

Imagine a slightly dilapidated Victorian house occupied solely by animals and you have the premise of this beautifully illustrated, faintly surreal alphabet book.--Booklist

This delightful alphabet book is perfect for a rollicking fun story-time, alphabet study, or poetry class. But don't save this treasure just for the kids - anyone who appreciates art or illustration will love it too.--Children's Book News

Visual contrast abounds in debut artist Edwards' watercolor-and-pencil illustrations, and he frequently conveys a sense of wit ...--Publishers Weekly

About the Author

Wallace Edwards (1957-2022), was a beloved and award-winning Canadian children's book creator with an international reputation for his rich and quirky depictions of animals both real and fantastic. His first children's picture book, Alphabeasts, won the 2002 Governor General's Award for Children's Literature --- Illustration. Wallace's third book, Mixed Beasts, was also shortlisted for the Governor General's Award and won the Amelia Frances Howard-Gibbon Award. His work garnered many awards and honors, including two Independent Publisher Book Awards, a CLA Honour Book, two OLA Best Bets and inclusion on the International Youth Library White Ravens list. He also created artwork for magazines, posters and the Toronto Zoo.