MOOSE, GOOSE, ANIMALS ON THE LOOSE!

Canadian animals frolic across the pages and through the letters of the alphabet.

Starting with an arctic fox and ending with a “griZZly” bear, Valério breezily moves through the ABCs. Some animals are accorded their very own double-page spreads, as in an eagle feeding its little ones. Some animals share their pages, as with the mother-chick pair of “Loons laughing on the lake” alongside a “magnificent mighty Moose.” A “quiet Quail” sits on the back of a “powerful playful Polar Bear.” There is also a trio of T’s: turtle, toad, and trout. Alphabet purists should note that along with stretching the concept of animal abecedarians with the letter Z, X is represented by both an “exuberant MuskoX” and an “exotic LynX” (otherwise known as a Canada lynx). Valério’s cut-paper collage illustrations are always lively and feature smiling critters on land, in the air, and on the water. For children learning their letters, clearly delineated uppercase and lowercase letters are featured. The alliterative text adds to the upbeat mood; four pages of backmatter reprise the alphabet with thumbnail illustrations and a few sentences of further information on each animal.

Readers will enjoy identifying the cold-weather creatures and their outstanding attributes.