The alphabet tree

Leo Lionni’s The Alphabet Tree (1968) is a visual and conceptual experiment in storytelling through letters. The book presents tiny letters clinging to a tree, threatened by a fierce wind, and shows them gaining strength by forming words—and eventually sentences—with a message of peace. The illustrations use wide white spaces to amplify the sense of vulnerability during the storm and emphasize the growth and unity of the letters as they organize themselves.

Lionni’s style is immediately recognizable: bold, flat shapes and careful color choices make the letters feel alive, almost like characters with their own agency. The word-bug and the caterpillar are drawn simply yet expressively, guiding the letters through transformation, while the progression from isolated letters to meaningful sentences creates a visual rhythm across the pages.

The book operates on multiple levels: it teaches the mechanics of language, illustrates the power of collaboration, and conveys a moral message tied to its historical context—the Vietnam era—without overtly stating it. The illustrations carry the narrative, showing action, emotion, and transformation in every spread, making the story memorable through visual storytelling as much as through text.