Have You Ever Seen a Smack of Jellyfish? An Alphabet Book

First-time author Asper-Smith's background in graphic design is evident in this ABC book devoted to collective nouns. Crisp, eye-popping silhouettes put the animals' shapes (always shown in black) in high relief. A murder of crows perches on a tree's spindly blue branches against a neon green sky (creating a palpable sense of unease), while the yellow-on-pink victim of a "scourge of mosquitoes" makes their descriptor feel all the more apt. Clean design, attention to detail, and intriguing animal selections—from a "watch of nightingales" to a "walk of snails"—make this an elegant primer. Ages 3–8. (Jan.)