Laura Vaccaro Seeger’s striking lift-the-flap alphabet book features a picture framed in black on each page. The items shown correspond to a letter of the alphabet: arrowhead...balloons...mouse...olive...raindrop, etc. Lift the black frame and the letter of the alphabet is revealed, with the object an integral part of the letter’s design. A few of the choices are a bit esoteric for the typical audience of an alphabet book—“inkblot” for I, “quotation mark” for Q. But younger children will enjoy noticing how each letter is comprised of the object pictured, while children who consider themselves too old for alphabet books may find artistic inspiration and want to embark on a similar project of their own. Seeger’s invitingly playful images make wonderful use of color, shape, and other design elements. (Age 4 and older)

Here is a fresh and imaginative way to look at the alphabet. Turn to the first page of the book and you'll be greeted by a picture of an arrowhead, surrounded by a simple black frame. Once you lift the frame you'll find the arrowhead is magically transformed into the letter A. And so it goes, from Ballons, Cloud, and Door through Leaf and Mice to Yolk and Zipper. Bold distinctive images and a simple yet ingenious format make this an alphabet book to treasure.