The ABCs of mean things will call forth all young gripers who at last can have their say, thanks to the perceptiveness of one knowing adult. Here is an opportunity to air grievances about buttons (too big or too small), drawers (sloppy and sticky), mail (for everyone but me), yawns (that sneak up and send a fellow straight to bed), and 22 other annoyances that disrupt the equilibrium. The choices may not be consistently angry, (J is for Junk and ""I like Junk"") and the spirit veers toward paranoia (a world of inanimate objects with ornery wills of their own), but the general effect is terribly funny. Children who have suffered at the whims of an Itch, a Hole or a Shoelace will be able to vent some ""hostility"", recognize the humor (largely through Miss King's ""intense"" illustrations) and find a lot to laugh about.