Z Goes First: An Alphabet Story Z-to-A

Fed up with being last in the alphabet, the letter Z seeks a promotion. Z recruits Y to make the move with her, but the other letters impede their progress: “You can’t get past me. I’m the most important letter in the alphabet. And quite flexible, too,” E says. Lamb packs in letter-related gags: “X is always cross,” Z tells Y, and “LMNOP stuck together as if they formed their own word.” Working in a bubbly art style, Perry renders the letters with googly eyes and in a candy-colored palette: Z herself is yellow with wavy hair and big, pink and orange polka dots. Some letters’ personalities come across as underdeveloped, however, and Z never manages to entirely disrupt the flow of the alphabet as the title suggests. Nevertheless, readers should appreciate the pun-heavy banter as Y and Z learn that each letter has its own valuable place in the alphabet. Ages 3–6. (May)