Grover's first is ``An Unexpected Alphabet,'' with pairings (``Fork fence''; ``Vegetable volcano'') that occasion amusing surreal paintings in crayon-bright colors. The skillfully designed art is decorative and sometimes witty, Ö la New Yorker covers (e.g., a row of ``Octopus overalls'' hung out to dry in a stylized suburban neighborhood), while such conceits as an ``Elephant elevator'' or an ``Ice-cream island'' have child appeal; others (``Dog dance''; ``Neon night'') seem less imaginative. Attractive, if not essential. (Picture book. 4-8)
