ABC PUZZLE AND BOOK

Photographs illustrate both the paperback alphabet book and 30-piece puzzle in this novelty set.

In the book, upper- and lowercase letters appear at the center of most pages, surrounded by square panels showing photos of objects, actions and feelings that start with the letter in question. The A page presents apple, asleep, ant, airplane, alligator and abacus with basic captions. The text engages readers in a simple question-and-answer format, usually in the “How many?” or “What color?” vein. Toward the end of the alphabet, some of the letters, such as U, V and X, Y, Z, share pages as initial letter sounds become scarce. As concept books go, this offering is nothing new, but the photos are vibrant, and the text is engaging. The accompanying 16-inch-square jigsaw puzzle uses a selection of the same photos found in the book, with one picture per letter nicely spaced on a white background. Each photo is clearly captioned, and the entire alphabet, both upper- and lowercase letters, runs across the top and bottom of the puzzle. The pieces may prove difficult for little ones, but children at the upper end of the age range should be able to accomplish it. For those looking for an extra challenge, the flipside of the puzzle presents the alphabet on a green background with subtle polka dots in a lighter shade.

An attractive book-and-puzzle package.