ABC ANIMALS!

In sturdy board-book style, this alphabet book is the latest addition to Seder’s bestselling Scanimation books.

With the exception of A and Z, the letters are presented four at a time, printed on the left-hand page and color-coordinated with the name of the animal under the Scanimation window on the right-hand page. Both upper- and lowercase letters are shown together, and the font is large, bold, and easy to read, but no additional information is given. The animals displayed are mostly common but not overfamiliar (dragonfly, elephant, jellyfish, ostrich), with some less so, such as the urial (a kind of wild sheep) and the X-ray tetra. The Scanimation, an impressive effect that gives the illusion of fluid, realistic movement triggered by page turns, will, at first glance, engage younger and older kids alike. However, other than the silhouette and the movement, few details of the animals are visible or distinct in the black-and-white Scanimation windows. Young children connecting alphabet letters to words and/or animals do best with illustrations that are as close as possible to the actual item, such as Steve Jenkin’s full-color illustrations in the book Into the A B Sea: An Ocean Alphabet Book, by Deborah Lee Rose (2000).

The Scanimation entices, but it does not carry this alphabet book to fulfill its function.