E IS FOR ECHIDNA

Like W is for Wombat (2010), this alphabet book features the ordinary and the exotic from apple and turtle, to galah and wattle.

One-word captions paired with bold paintings in the Aboriginal folk-art tradition move readers through the alphabet, one letter per page. With thick black outlines and bright patterns of dots and dashes, Bancroft demonstrates she is master of the form. While the paintings glow on solid backgrounds of varied hues, the darker color choices make the black text difficult to read. Most of the objects representing each letter are animals or plants indigenous to Australia, but some of the choices, like a net for N and a vegetable (some kind of gourd, perhaps) for V feel forced to make the book fit the alphabet structure. Parents looking for a traditional alphabet title with recognizable objects would be advised to look elsewhere.

While it’s not as strong as her first alphabet board book, it does reward the adventurous with stunning images in luminous colors.