ABC U Later

The popular Uglydolls franchise expands into the Ugly Boards series, featuring the diminutive monsters. Though the book is foremost an abecedarian, the collaborators introduce mininarratives and cause-and-effect scenarios as well. On one spread, M (“more sugar”) and N (“nonstop candy”) result in a trip to the dentist's chair for a blue monster (“O is for open up!”). The sometimes sardonic humor will likely be lost on the youngest readers and some of the vocabulary (infirmary, ventilated, overdrawn) will need explanation, but it's a good antidote to more generic alphabet books. Also available: 123 4 U . Up to age 4. (July)