The Alphabet in Nature

School Library Journal

PreS-Gr 1-- These lovely-to-look-at introductions are a delight. Feldman has selected full-color photographs to illustrate each letter or shape; a curling caterpillar makes a ``J,'' an ``S'' turns up in the neck of a flamingo, etc. Various photographers have provided the illustrations for each of the 26 letters and for 17 different shapes. No words accompany the photographs, but the capital letter or simplified shape appears at the top of each page. In Alphabet , those unfamiliar with the letters may have a bit of difficulty in recognizing them in the natural shapes, but this should not prove a serious handicap. Many groups of plant and animal kingdoms are represented, making the book a basic introduction to the world we live in. Although both Suse MacDonald's Alphabatics (Bradbury, 1986) and Tana Hoban's Shapes, Shapes, Shapes (Greenwillow, 1986) are outstanding examples of the same or similar concepts, these new titles are still fine additions. --Amy Nunley, Toledo-Lucas County Public Library, OH