Title: ABC: The Alphabet from the Sky
Author: Benedikt Groß & Joey Lee
Publisher: Price Stern Sloan
Publication Date: September 13, 2016
Genre/Format: Fiction/Picture Book
Age Range: 3-5
Synopsis:
Based on the successful Aerial Bold Kickstarter campaign, the gorgeous ABC:The Alphabet From The Sky by Benedikt Gross and Joey Lee is like no other alphabet book you’ve ever seen. Using aerial photography images from around the United States, it introduces children to the alphabet and asks them to look for letters from a bird’s-eye view.
Geographer and designer duo Benedikt Grosß and Joey Lee, who met at MIT have taken the alphabet to new heights-literally! Using satellite imagery and computer technology, the pair has discovered “accidental letters” in natural formations all across the United States-in roads, rivers, buildings, lakes and more! Whether in a child’s hands or displayed on a coffee table, ABC: The Alphabet From The Sky is a beautiful scavenger hunt for readers of all ages.
About the Author -Benedikt Groß
Benedikt Grob is a speculative and computational designer. he has a MA in Design Interactions from the Royal College of Art, is co-author of one of the top-selling books on computation design, Generative Design.
About the Author -Joey Lee
Joey Lee is an experimental geographer and media artist from San Franciso working with maps and data. He has a BA from University of California, Los Angeles, a MSc from the University of British Columbia, and has worked as a researcher at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Q&A With Authors Joseph Lee & Benedikt Groß About ABC:The Alphabet From The Sky
How did you choose the images in ABC:The Alphabet from The Sky? Do you each have a favorite letter?
We worked closely with the team at Penguin to find the right images for the book. We wanted to include a diverse range of landscapes, from urban to forests, and to give the readers the opportunity to travel through the United States to familiar and unfamiliar places.
While we would have loved to include the entire world, we had a unique opportunity to make a U.S. specific book because the United States Geological Survey provides open access to high-resolution aerial imagery for the entire country. We’d love one day to do additional countries.
Some of our favorites include the “J” (of course), “R”, “L”, and “N”. You’ll have to get the book to see why!
How is ABC:The Alphabet from The Sky different from other Alphabet books?
The ABC:The Alphabet from The Sky blends elements of geography, typography, and design to make an alphabet book for both children and adults. The book takes the entire process of our Kickstarter campaign and makes it tangible in a timeless way. We’ve heard the book called the “Where’s Waldo” of the “I-Spy” of alphabet books – we can’t say that we’ve ever seen anything like it before.
My Thoughts:
WOW! This is the most unique alphabet book that I have ever run across. While it’s suggested age range is 3-5, I can assure you that the entire family will enjoy this book. Filled with aerial shots of urban and suburban areas, this book provides an amazing variety of shapes and letter. ABC:The Alphabet from The Sky is beautifully done and we currently have it on the coffee table. Everyone that sees this book, has to pick it up and look at all the beautiful aerial shots and of course try to find the letters throughout. While some letters are a quick find, some are just a tad harder.
Highly recommend as part of of a school or home library.
ABC: The Alphabet from the Sky can be found at your local book retailer or online at stores like Amazon.
