cover image Astonishing Animal ABC

Astonishing Animal ABC

Charles Fuge. Sterling, $14.95 (32p) ISBN 978-1-4027-8645-7

In this alphabet book, bouncy, alliterative verse describes anthropomorphized animals. Some animals only receive a glancing mention, but other scenarios are more complex. "D, dancing dodo," has the bird leaping across a spread with hat and cane, ready for the spotlight, while the following scene features an improbable meeting between a flamingo and a dinosaur: "E, enormous egg,/ F, fat flamingo/ feeling frightened on one leg." Providing solid fun throughout, Fuge's unexpected rhymes are matched by equally off-kilter artwork that culminates in a truly out-of-left-field "Z" entry. Ages 3%E2%80%935. (June)