Tongue Twisting ABCs

Savage’s quirky alphabet book features a friendly menagerie of active, wide-eyed animals appearing in a spirited art style. Alliterative verses describe silly scenarios and playful interactions between the subjects: “Kaia the kind kitten/ kissed a koala and a kooky kangaroo kissed a kiwi.” Elsewhere, “Mia the messy meerkat/ mistakenly made/ mushroom muffins/ mixed with/ marshmallows.” Varjolie fills each spread with a feeling of improvisational play while giving each of the animals its own kooky personality. Readers may pick up on some new vocabulary words and unfamiliar animals while reading the tongue-twisting lines aloud (“Queenie the querulous quetzal/ quacked quadrillion quotes/ in Quebec”). Unexpected animal pairings (a tarantula, tiger, and turtle share one spread) enliven this offbeat romp. All ages. [em](BookLife) [/em]