A, B, C Animals

In one of two titles launching the Animal Concepts series, Canadian artist Hosoya presents portraits of 26 animals, one for each letter of the alphabet. The text is limited to the name of each animal, with the first letters of each word given thematic patterns: the A in alligator has a leathery green texture, while the B in bear has a honeycomb pattern that alludes to the beehive the bear is shown holding. Large rectangles and circles with floral patterns enliven the otherwise blank backgrounds, and while Hosoya’s images are fairly naturalistic, she makes room for quirky details: a giraffe chews leisurely on a straw hat, an indri (a type of lemur) answers a red phone, and a unicorn makes an appearance for the letter U. A poster featuring the animals is included. Available simultaneously: 1, 2, 3 Sea Creatures. All ages. (Apr.)