From Antelope to a Zebra-striped Z, 26 animals parade in alphabetical order. A short paragraph of descriptive text appears with a clear photograph or illustration of each animal, but the letters are the main event here. In crisp black and white, each block capital interacts in some ingenious way with a drawing of its animal. A Giraffe extends its neck from the G; a black Jaguar slinks from behind the J; a Rhinoceros reduces the R to rubble. X (a Xantus—a kind of hummingbird) rises gracefully from the fold in full X-crossed double relief, the body and wings of the bird exquisitely excised from within the letter. Most of the pop-up action is effected by the turn of the page, which should extend the book’s life beyond a normal pop-up’s. An elegant alphabet experience. (Pop-up. 4 & up)
