Laura Vaccaro Seeger’s striking lift-the-flap alphabet book features a picture framed in black on each page. The items shown correspond to a letter of the alphabet: arrowhead...balloons...mouse...olive...raindrop, etc. Lift the black frame and the letter of the alphabet is revealed, with the object an integral part of the letter’s design. A few of the choices are a bit esoteric for the typical audience of an alphabet book—“inkblot” for I, “quotation mark” for Q. But younger children will enjoy noticing how each letter is comprised of the object pictured, while children who consider themselves too old for alphabet books may find artistic inspiration and want to embark on a similar project of their own. Seeger’s invitingly playful images make wonderful use of color, shape, and other design elements. (Age 4 and older)