Little Concepts: A Is for Apricat

Nutrition meets wordplay in Gatti’s risible romp through the alphabet. The first page introduces the concept of combining a “tasty treat” with an “adorable critter,” showing an equation that melds photographs of an apricot and a kitten. The resulting creature—“apricat”—shows a buttery apricot sporting cartoonish cat features, legs, and a striped brown tail. Brief text matches the playful mood from “apricat” to “zebrussels sprout,” describing the “broccolion” as “the (very gassy) king of the jungle,” while the “moushroom” “tastes great with stinky cheese.” Humorous digital collage illustrations riff on the produce shapes to incorporate googly eyes and animal elements. Though the board book may encourage readers to play with their food, this adds up to an enjoyable introduction to the ABCs. Ages 3–6. [em](Sept.) [/em]