ABC Dream

PreS-Gr 2—Artistic pages and layouts carry readers through each capital letter of the alphabet in this visually engaging, wordless picture book. Drawn in bold black lines with rich washes of color, each spread features a letter with appropriate, but unlabeled, objects surrounding it in a striking still life. An apple perches atop the bold, argyle-patterned "A" and is struck through by arrows. The scene is crawling with ants. Each letter commands attention, and the closer readers look, the more there is to notice and recognize by first letter association. Each letter stands for a varying number of things on the page, but two letters have only one: X is an X-ray, and Y is tangled with yarn. Discoveries range from obvious to quite challenging, but there is a key to each letter in the back. The rich imagery and smart page design make this alphabet book a pleasure to spend time enjoying.