Tomorrow's Alphabet

How, in an alphabet book, can the letter ""A"" stand for ""seed""? Though the ""A is for seed"" syntax is not logical, Shannon's (Stories to Solve: Folktales from Around the World) amusing, letter-based word game teaches that a seed is ""tomorrow's apple""; ""E"" is for campfire (tomorrow's embers), etc. Crews (Freight Train; Truck) depicts each subject with fairly realistic, up-close, page-filling images. The arrangement, however-the letter and non-letter object face the page with the appropriately lettered object, allowing the reader to see the answer in a glance-diminishes the surprise and the guessing that might ensue if the answer were unseen, i.e., on the following page or behind a flap. Examples such as ""Y is for sheep-tomorrow's yarn"" might be a bit of a stretch (in an earlier reference, ""H"" stands for yarn-""tomorrow's hat""), and the premise may confuse those with a shaky knowledge of the ABCs. On the other hand, young readers who have mastered the alphabet should catch on to the think-ahead concept with ease. Ages 5-up. (Apr.)