Animal Abecedary

Leslie Haines built this 32-page alphabet book from letterpress type, vintage engravings, original drawings, found objects, photography, and pages torn from old books — all assembled into whimsical collages pairing each letter with an animal and an unexpected object. The project started when Haines found a human-faced walrus in an old engraving, and that spirit of delighted surprise carries through every spread. It works for small children learning their ABCs and for adults who appreciate art and design, which is genuinely unusual. The honest caveat is that at 32 pages it's a slim purchase, and the educational text is minimal beyond the collage images themselves. But as a visual object — clever, witty, and handcrafted in feel — it earns its spot.