ALPHABET HOUSE

Wallace’s rabbit family introduces the letters of the alphabet. Inside their white clapboard house, twins Zinnia and Zoë, along with their siblings, parents and grandparents, engage in typical daily activities, each cleverly designed to present a letter. Each white-bordered illustration’s theme includes items starting with the letter prominently featured in the corner. For “O,” brother Zeke busily prepares oatmeal cookies in the kitchen while Zack strolls in, carrying an owl. Oranges form a colorful wall decoration while olive oil and onions reside on the shelf. Wallace’s intricately cut-paper collages overflow with details and wit, giving readers numerous opportunities to find letter-appropriate objects. The vignettes provide both easily identifiable items for new learners as well as more esoteric objects, such as a zither, hexagon-wearing hippo and others, to challenge older readers. The energetic colors of the collages combined with the intriguing and changing scenarios are bound to capture readers’ attention. The end pages include a legend detailing most of the items found in each letter’s illustration, with the teaser suggesting that readers find more. (Picture book. 3-7)