Alphabet Explosion!: Search and Count from Alien to Zebra
Kindergarten-Grade 3–This title combines a traditional alphabet book with a search-and-find picture puzzle. Each page is a mix of images jumbled together, and at the bottom of each page, readers are given the number of items to look for that start with a particular letter, such as 20 Ks or 8 Us. Answer keys are provided in the back of the book. Combining a variety of elements and styles, including line drawings, etchings, and paintings in one picture creates a surrealist effect, with a hippo in a hula hoop and a patch-wearing poodle painting a portrait of a parrot. It is unlikely that youngsters will find all 32 words beginning with T unless they recognize a tapir, or remember to count the 13 turquoise trees as three words. The books main drawback is the complexity of the rules for play, which cover two pages at the beginning. Fans of Walter Wicks picture-puzzle books will enjoy studying this title and may find many of the items, provided they have a firm grasp of the alphabet and a strong vocabulary.–Suzanne Myers Harold, Multnomah County Library System, Portland, ORCopyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.