Stunning illustrations
599009
I just loved seeing this book when a co-worker brought it for show-n-tell.  I just had to have it.  The illustrations are undescribable - you have to see it to know just how beautiful it is - and so much detail.  I got one for myself and also had to get it for my Mother as a Christmas gift.  This book will be cherished and enjoyed for many years to come.
1229640
Beautiful book, gorgeous illustrations, sweet words.
4412296
Wonderful illustrations by one of the best illustrators out there.
1275090
Amazing! The illustrations are incredible. I've told all my family and friends on Facebook about this BEAUTIFUL BOOK. My daughter is 1.5 and loves looking at the pictures while I read to her!
3916408
This book has the best illustrations that I have EVER seen.  They draw you to the text and are partnered with the book perfectly.  They have the quality of a photograph.
4126572
The power in this book lies not only in its beautiful, oversized illustrations which fill out the entirety of its pages (11.25 x 9.53), but also in its well chosen words which describe God in terms that are understandable by children.  This book is worthy of highest honors for its illustrations and the author provides a text which paints pictures with words which are ample accompaniment.  It is important for parents of young children to begin the discussion of God and this compelling book provides a guide to admiring the beauty of His creation in a form that can be held in one's hands. It is non-sectarian. This book deserves many more than 5 stars.  It has not received the attention it deserves.
3923176
My three year old daughter loves books--especially books about space and planets.  That's one of the reasons I backed this book on Kickstarter.  When I got the book, my daughter and I immediately flipped through the pages and...WOW.  The illustrations are beautiful composite images of the stylized Annabelle and Aiden overlain in pictures of fields of both stars and grass.  I love that this book exposes an inkling of how vast and how amazing is the cosmos while laying the framework that was instilled in me by one of my own childhood heroes, "We are made of starstuff."
2143145
This book is absolutely beautiful. The large, hardcover format looks great as a coffee table book or as a display piece. The illustrations are gorgeous and I love that these stories are being formatted to reach more readers. I am excited about furthering my collection with these illustrated editions. I would highly recommend them to any Harry Potter fan or maybe even as a gift for someone who may be interested in reading these books. As a teacher, I find that my students are much more interested in these editions than the original due to all the large, colored illustrations.
3624967
I ordered this book for my niece who is just getting to the age that she can read and appreciate this wonderful series. The book has far more illustrations than I imagined. There is a unique and beautiful illustration on each and every page. Each illustration really helps to bring the story to life in a new way.
1559888
Wonderfully imaginative and beautifully illustrated.my son loves this book!  I would certainly recommend it to anyone looking for a terrific adventure with stunning visuals.
2707007
This is such a beautiful book. The author is a brilliant illustrator.  The images are spot on, and there's just enough line detail to give the images amazing depth when colored. I'm especially looking forward to working with the images with black backgrounds. Also love the section on birth flowers. I will spend many happy hours with this book.
2521094
Gorgeously illustrated! Will make book lovers say "This is a beautiful book".
2980486
Gorgeously illustrated! Brilliantly researched.
2069555
I came across this book at the library. The illustrations are amazing. The very complex and complicated emotions show in the characters' expressions and body language, maybe even more than in the text. It's a wonderful book.
1877418
If kids had coffee tables, "Creature ABC" would be on them.  It's an absolutely gorgeous book.  In fact, it could very well be the sort of book that people buy for kids, look at 'carefully' with kids, and then put away for their children's children.

Which is to say that Andrew Zuckerman's photography and layout is amazing.

What you will fine in Mr. Zuckerman's book are various pictures of animals associated with letters of the alphabet.  This, of course, is nothing new.  But what makes these images special is the perspective and how everything is  placed on the white-white background.

For example, for the letter "A" we have Alligator.  Four pages for him.  On one page there is only  giant upper and lower case A's.  On the two following pages there is our gator friend, in all his glory, along with the word 'alligator'.  But what really struck me as wondrous, was the picture of his foot on the very first page.  It's a macro shot and just stunning.  You can see the remarkable bumpiness of the alligator's skin, and these long toenails.  One amazing foot (that looks like it's had a pedicure).

Not all creatures have the same treatment.  The elephant, with it's huge foot is shown up close along with another photo which is a head shot; but not the dove.  With it's sweet pictures we get a sense of motion as she is caught in mid-flight.  Other creatures are treated as a category.  "I", for example, is for insects.

But no matter which letter/animal you choose, the images and poses are interesting.  (The lion looks like he's had a glamour shot :)

Do check this one out.  It's definitely worth a look.

Talking Points :::
o  Amazing photography.  The depth and clarity of the shots defies easy description.

o  The paper is very nice: semi-gloss and thicker than normal.

o  This book would make an excellent gift.  I think there are elements that can be appreciated even by older children.

Pam T~
mom and reviewer at BooksForKids-reviews
3346553
This book tells the story of creation simply, but the illustrations are breathtakingly exquisite.  They are rich in color, and resemble fine art depictions as far as I'm concerned.  I've purchased additional copies so I can frame the entire book as art in my childrens' playroom.  Absolutely stunning!
1809296
First, the illustrations are worth the price of the book and then some.  The device of adding another child to the page with each passing "hero" is extremely well done.  Also, although one immediately recognizes Malia and Sasha as the two principle characters, one never really sees their faces, thus they - and President Obama - meld into a sort of "everyman/everychild" which will make it very meaningful for children of a certain age.

Obama also includes the 13 most diverse portraits of Americans I've ever seen in any children's book and certainly far more diverse than I've seen in any book on U.S. history.  Georgia O'Keefe, Jackie Robinson, Albert Einstein, Hellen Keller, MLKing Jr. and - this was the biggest surprise - Chief Sitting Bull.  The brief, child-oriented comments on these men and women are accessible to small children too young to read, enjoyable for those learning to read, and intriguing for older children already proficient in reading.

Plus, by reading this to your own children, it becomes a letter from parent to child.  It is also beautifully bound (I have the hardcover edition) and will be a real keepsake for my own children.