ABC Gulls

Debut author-illustrator Rand casts dozens of seagulls in a variety of roles in this alphabetic (and highly alliterative) outing, working in a crisp-edged style that resembles cut-paper artwork. Whether “having an afternoon adventure in an airplane” or taking “a trip around town in a tugboat,” the lanky seagulls, who look at readers with deadpan expressions, are an active bunch (“Vail and Vavrney value their vacation playing volleyball”). An author’s note explains that the seagulls are named after islands in Maine (except for the Q, U, and X entries), where the author lives, a detail that her fellow Mainers are likely to appreciate. Ages 2–6. (Mar.)