ABCs from Space: A Discovered Alphabet

This remarkable bird’s-eye (okay, satellite’s-eye) view of the planet peers down at dramatic overhead images of lakes, clouds, rivers, fjords, and other phenomena, finding the letters of the alphabet hidden within them. Science writer Voiland smartly keeps the book wordless, allowing the satellite images to speak for themselves, but several closing pages let readers know exactly what they are looking at: the widening Congo River forms a Q around Bamu Island, cracks in Arctic sea ice create a spindly W, and a zigzagging band of snow in the U.S. closes out the book with a Z. The dramatic coloring of many of the images owes to false-color photography, explained in one of two FAQs (the other delves into geological science). In more ways than one, it’s a book that lets readers see Earth—and the alphabet—in a new light. Ages 4–8. Agent: Farley Chase, Chase Literary. (Aug.)