Alphabet Antics: ABC Animal Jamboree by Giles Andreae

HEL-LO. I'M THE ANGELFISH,
DARLING.

THE PRETTIEST THING IN THE SEA.

WHAT A SHAME THERE ARE NO OTHER CREATURES

GORGEOUS AND LOVELY AS ME.

The dynamic duo of author Giles Andreae and artist David Wojtowycz are back in their latest romp through the critter kingdom, this time an animal abecedarius combining their earlier collaborations, Rumble in the Jungle and Commotion in the Ocean.

In rhyming quatrains, Andreae takes the reader through the alphabet from angelfish to zebras, some cuddly and coy, like the self-confident angelfish above, some slightly sinister, such as the boa constrictor, and some quite rare, such as the narwhal:

THE NARWHAL HAS A HORN-LIKE TUSK,

AND SO HE SEEMS TO BE

AN OCEANS-SWIMMING UNICORN,

A MARVEL OF THE SEA.

Rhinos and quetzals, crocs and umbrella birds, all have their say in this ebullient entry into alphabet skills, beautifully combining catchy text and glowing, enticing illustrations in a way that will introduce early reading readiness in a most jolly picture book combination in ABC Animal Jamboree (Tiger Tales, 2010).

Also not to miss is this pair's top-selling Giraffes Can't Dance.