"The Dangerous Alphabet" by Neil Gaiman and Gris Grimly

---

The Dangerous Alphabet
by Neil Gaiman and illustrated by Gris Grimly
32 pp. HarperCollins. $17.99

Reviewed by Paul Stotts

---

At first, I thought I'd review "The Dangerous Alphabet" by Neil Gaiman and illustrated by Gris Grimly in my Comic Break column, but I hesitated to review it as a comic book, since it really is a picture book for young children. (Whether this is one or the same, I'm not even going to get into!) On the other hand, it really doesn't warrant a full-scale book review, since it clocks in at about 32 pages, and most of that is artwork.

So what to do? Should I get into the spirit of the book and write the review in couplets. (A chilling thought, I know, I had to lie down until it passed.) Eventually exhausted by the mental indecision, I decided to write a mini-review. (One that so far has surpassed the entire word count of the book.)

"The Dangerous Alphabet" is told in twenty-six alphabetical lines which comprise thirteen couplets. The story revolves around two young children, a boy and a girl, and their pet gazelle who on finding a treasure map strike out to find the treasure. Along the journey, they meet all kinds of nasty monsters and evil pirates who stand between them and the loot. When the girl is eventually captured, it's up to our young hero to save her. Will he find her in time, and will they uncover the treasure?

Considering he is writing in couplets that are to appeal to children, Gaiman does remarkably well in being creative and staying away from the "groan" factor. (The physical phenomenon in which a rhyme is so egregious you are forced to groan in disgust. I'd give an example, but I prefer to live without the resulting mail bombs.) But "The Dangerous Alphabet" truly lives and dies on the quality of its artwork. And Gris Grimly does an outstanding job here. Grimly's artwork is wonderfully stylistic and interesting, capturing a highly original look and feel and rendering it beautifully.

Last Word:
"The Dangerous Alphabet" should definitely appeal to young children, particularly children just learning the alphabet. While the story is not surprisingly simple in form, the amazing artwork should appeal to children of all ages.

Final Word: 86 out of 100