Alexander Girard cubed

These alphabet blocks featuring the groovy folkloric drawings of Alexander Girard are a must for any self-respecting midcentury modernist fan. Recommended for ages 4 and up, the carved wooden cubes can be used as a puzzle, as building blocks and -- of course -- as a tool for teaching the ABCs. They’re part of a line of toys and decorative objects that House Industries created in collaboration with the estate of Girard, the graphic artist who was director of textile design for Herman Miller. The too-cool-for-preschool block set sells for $120 on the House Industries website, www.houseind.com, but we found it marked down to $64 at www.garnethill.com.

-- David A. Keeps