Professor Whiskerton Presents Steampunk ABC

K-Gr 2—Two mice dressed in Victorian garb are hard at work using fanciful machinery in this inventive alphabet book. The elaborately crafted letters on each page echo the activity being carried out. "C is for Crank" shows a bowler-hatted, peg-legged critter operating an old-fashioned sharpener while the other creature dangles from the turning pencil. The spread that includes "L is for level" and "M is for monkey wrench" connects the two letters with a joyous tightrope walking mouse as the other lugs a heavy wrench into the background. At first glance, all the activities on each page seem disconnected. But this is not a book for just one glance. The intricate illustrations invite readers to peer carefully at both the individual letters as well as notice the story that is developing along the way. Something is being built here, and it is not until the last two pages that children see what all this industriousness is about. Bright, flat background colors allow the creatively developed letters to shine. Each one is a masterpiece in itself that would be fun to see as actual sculptures. The beauty of the letters is juxtaposed against the humorous shenanigans of the two mice, giving the book warmth and intrigue. This is a delightful work that can be enjoyed by all but especially by young tinkerers, future builders, and architects.—Diane McCabe, John Muir Elementary, Santa Monica, CA