cover image Alphabet Annie Announces an All-American Album

Alphabet Annie Announces an All-American Album

Marcia Oshell, Susan Purviance. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (HMH), $15.45 (55pp) ISBN 978-0-395-48070-0

This alphabet book with an American theme uses alliteration and the names of U.S. towns for one-liners emphasizing each letter. The settings encompass nearly all regions of the U.S.: ``Hilda the helpful hippo holds high-strung hamsters in a Houston high rise'' depicts an exuberant Hilda, decked out as a cowgirl, dangling two hamsters in parachutes over a balcony. ``Marna Mae makes Macadamia muffins on Maui and Molokai'' reveals a pig in a grass skirt riding a red, white and blue surfboard while balancing a display case of muffins. Some of the material may prove difficult for some readers: ``Ida Iverson imprints iron ingots from Iron Mountain for interested industries.'' The theme initiated in the title and jacket art (of an Orphan Annie-dressed animal announcing the alphabet as a sort of news bulletin) is dropped abruptly; the book contains no further reference to her and that may leave readers with the sense that something is missing. The concept and content are never fully reconciled, which gives the book an unfinished feeling. The paintings are skillfully executed in full color and in the style of early American primitives, with some of the same direct appeal. All ages. (September)