A Wood Engraver's Alphabet.

Janet Collins is a freelance writer in Sechelt, British Columbia.

Generally speaking, alphabet books are a learning tool for children. The more they see words associated with a given letter, the more they understand what sound the letter makes when verbalized and also how to start spelling the word the letter represents in the book.

A Wood Engraver’s Alphabet is different. It is both a celebration of the wood engraver’s art and a lovely collection of illustrations of familiar garden plants (okay, maybe bird of paradise isn’t the most common member in Canadian gardens, but it does put in regular appearances at most floral shops across the country). Plants are introduced by their common name, but both the botanical label and specific variety of the “model” are also given.

The botanist background of the artist is readily apparent in each highly detailed image. Only gardening guides that feature full-colour photos of the exact same plants can do better. The amount of information garnered from each illustration is all the more impressive when both the medium (wood engraving) and the lack of colour are taken into consideration.

A worthy addition to any art or botanical library, and the perfect gift for any art or garden enthusiast.