ABZZZ...: A Bedtime Alphabet

Martins and Kono suggest that sleepy children won’t make it until the end of this well-conceived and sharply designed alphabet, first published in Portugal. A is for “awake,” represented by two round, black eyes that stare out at readers (“This is how you look now. It’s natural: our book is just beginning”). In the pages that follow, Martins and Kono offer subtle reminders that readers are in good company while sleeping (“Did you know that even the strongest bear purrs to sleep when winter comes,” they write for the H page, “hibernate”) and that they have nothing to fear (“Imagine you’re a leopard when you got to sleep. You don’t need to be afraid of anything!”). Angular, screenprintlike graphics in zingy reds, yellows, and blues aren’t exactly sleepy, but poring over the details may still quiet some young minds. Ages 4–up. (May)