EATING THE ALPHABET

With images as boldly conceived as those in her Planting a Rainbow, yet with subtly added textures that create far closer links between her art and the objects represented, Ehlert has produced an outstanding alphabet book. 

There are 75 fruits and vegetables here, which include the familiar as well as plenty that are mildly exotic (kumquat, radicchio). Page design is inspired, with the names printed in large type, in both upper and lower case, in an elegant face, sometimes vertically and sometimes horizontally. Notes on the species' origins and uses are appended (xigua—the only non-English entry—is the Chinese name for watermelon). 

A beautiful, useful book. (Picture book. 2-5)