The Cubies' ABC

"The Cubies' ABC" by Mary Chase Mills Lyall is a fun, old-fashioned alphabet book with pictures that wittily examines Cubism and modern art. It teaches about ideas and artists from that time. Made for everyone, the book mixes learning about art with a funny story that looks at what was new and trendy in art then. Each letter gets verses that show the ideas, people, and big names of Cubism. The rhymes are funny and ironic, creating a lively image of the “Cubies”—strange characters that represent Cubism. Covering famous artists, such as Picasso, and digging into topics like abstraction, color, and what is beautiful, the book playfully rhymes to introduce modern art and make a joke about the art styles of that period.