A Apple Pie

Gennady Spirin is one of my modern illustrator favorites. I buy his books whenever I find something captivating. I ordered this alphabet book in hopes it would be educational for my 4-year-old granddaughter and that she would also be exposed to fascinating art. The art part was great, but the content of the book left me a bit wanting. "A is for Apple Pie," but the rest of the alphabets were quite contrived; I don't think a youngster can follow the logic. I still recommend this book for its fascinating artistic merits.

If you are fortunate enough to have seen or better yet own a copy of "Yakov and the Seven Thieves," "The Tale of the Firebird" or any other of the keepsake books illustrated by Gennady Spirin you know what a gifted artist he is. He blends his Russian heritage with techniques of the Renaissance masters to create some of the most detailed, the most beautiful paintings to be found between the covers of children's books. He brings us another treasure with illustrations for "A Apple Pie," a fanciful ABC dating to the 1600s in England. It is enchanting worthy of turning to again and again. I find something new with each study of a page - the tiny butterfly on the toddler's trousers in "B Bit it" - the cunning gray kitten sniffing the delicious aroma in "C Cut it." and on it goes. Each illustration is a marvel, a testament to Spirin's genius. Born outside of Moscow in 1948, he came to our country at the invitation of Philomel and Dial Press. His professional awards are far too numerous to mention - simply enjoy "A Apple Pie," and be grateful for the creative gifts of Gennady Spirin. - Gail Cooke