A traditional approach to the alphabet book offers a subtle twist encouraging close observation by readers. Of the handful of animals representing each letter of the alphabet, only one—in a range of poses and in some cases, species—is shown eight times. It’s up to readers to find the eight similar creatures on each page spread. Perusal of the F page shows a falcon, ferret, firefly, flamingo, flying squirrel, and fox, as well as eight unique frogs. From familiar (ant) to unusual (zebu), Elisha Cooper’s clean watercolor art and generous use of white space offers an inviting venue to explore the animal kingdom as well as the alphabet. Four concluding pages provide a thumbnail sketch and a fascinating fact about each animal included. (Ages 3–7)

Explore the animal world, from aardvark to zebu!

Discover hundreds of animals, great and small. Lion and lizard, whale and wombat. Learn one wild fact about each animal. (Did you know that gorillas yawn when they are nervous?) Look carefully, because for each letter of the alphabet, one animal is pictured eight times. Why 8? Come inside and find out.