ABCD

"Aa. Arnold is an amazing aviator. Bb. Beatrice balances beautifully on her ball. Cc. Carlos wears a checkered cap in his convertible. . . ." Drawing from her line of greeting cards and other paper goods, Moxley (Stone Girl, Bone Girl: The Story of Mary Anning, 1999, etc.) assembles an alphabet around photographed pets painted into fanciful clothes and settings. The effect is cute, but ultimately monotonous, as most of the dogs and cats have their eyes closed or are looking off to the side disinterestedly, and the painted portions are done in the same flat, stylized, obviously superimposed way. The captions don't exactly sparkle with imagination either, nor are they always well considered; "Patrick," who paints "portraits with his paw," actually seems to use a brush, and younger readers especially may be confused when sounds and letters are inconsistent, as with "kingly crown" or "Quentin curls." Children just peering over the edge of literacy may chuckle, but there are many other simple alphabets—Flora McDonnell's ABC (1994), to name one—that will leave a more lasting impression. (Picture book. 3-5)