cover image Caveman: A B. C. Story

Caveman: A B. C. Story

Janee Trasler. Sterling, $14.95 (32p) ISBN 978-1-4027-7119-4

In an abecedarian romp told with a single word for each letter, an acorn incites a mad dash between members of the prehistoric food-chain: squirrel chases acorn; caveman (who could be Jerry Garcia's distant ancestor) chases squirrel; bear chases caveman, and a dopey dinosaur looks like the top predator%E2%80%94but is really a softie. "Ice" introduces a new episode, in which the caveman tries to free a purple animal from a block of ice ("Jump" "Kick"). After the caveman inadvertently discovers the "X-Ray" (via lightning strike) and gets knocked out, a tearful lick from the dinosaur awakens him ("Yay!"). Trasler's slapstick cartoons offer a fun, irreverent take on prehistory. Ages 3%E2%80%935. (Aug.)