The Cubies' ABC

An alphabet book unlike any other. First published in the early 20th century, this wildly imaginative A-to-Z guide sends up the revolutionary world of Cubism with verse so clever even Picasso might have cracked a smile. Each letter introduces a new member of the Cubies, an irrepressible cast of geometric characters who personify everything abstract, angular, and bewildering about modern art. From A for the Artistes who reject reality to Z for Zeuxis and his impossible perspectives, the book gently mocks the movement while clearly delighting in it. Children get a playful introduction to letters and art, while parents catch the satire aimed at Duchamp, Picasso, and the entire avant-garde establishment. The rhymes snap, the illustrations dazzle, and the whole enterprise feels like a love letter written with a mischievous wink.