Architects Make Zigzags: Looking at Architecture from A to Z

An elegant alphabet book by New Yorker artist Munro, whose The Inside-Outside Book of New York City was widely acclaimed. Architectural terms and their definitions are discussed in a simple, fluid text: ""Facades are the faces of buildings . . . usually the fanciest side''; ``keystones are wedged-shaped pieces of masonry set in the center of arches''; ``verandas are really just porches with a ritzier name.'' That particular entry is illustrated with a Victorian veranda from Boalsburg, Pa.; the White Elephant Saloon in Texas is under the ``Ornament'' heading, and the ornate wrought iron of the Short-Moran House in New Orleans is an apt selection for ``Ironwork.'' This book gives readers the chance to rediscover the world, simply by naming parts of the environment that most people see but never really look at. The black line drawings suit the subject in a way that color couldn'teach detail highlighted against a stark white background. Further information about the illustrations is available in the back of this readable, thoughtful ABC. (8-12)