cover image The ABC Exhibit

The ABC Exhibit

Leonard Everett Fisher. MacMillan Publishing Company, $15.95 (32pp) ISBN 978-0-02-735251-1

With The ABC Exhibit , Fisher has created a work of deceptive simplicity. His illustrations seem to speak louder than words, turning the alphabet into a child's very own art exhibition. Each painting depicts a recognizable object--``Acrobat,'' ``Balloon,'' ``Cloud''--yet here they become strangely exotic, thus introducing readers to the roles of light, color and perspective in works of art. Though some viewers may find these paintings a bit inaccessible, they might well serve as springboards for the imagination: where are the cars speeding to through the ``Fog''; what lies within the limits of the gray ``Wall''? A delight for children and parents alike, this book (though rather pricey) puts a new look on a familiar genre. All ages. (Apr.)