A IS FOR...?

A Is For...? (36 pp.; $16.00; Oct.; 0-15-201582-5) This clever alphabet book invites viewers to discover the animal—one for each letter of the alphabet—that Horenstein has captured in an intriguing tinted black-and-white photograph. It is no easy task, as often, only one part of the animal in question appears: a fin, tail, horn, eye. To add to the challenge, the link between the animal’s name and the letter of the alphabet under discussion is not always apparent, e.g., the ox for X. The photographs have a soft and somewhat old-fashioned look, and encourage repeat viewings. A fuller shot of every animal as well as information on photography appears in the back, where Horenstein also explains that he took 7,000 photos to find the 57 used in the book. (Picture book. 5-8)