ACTION ALPHABET

The emphasis here is squarely on action; the alphabet takes a supporting role. Rotner (Wheels Around, 1995, etc.) creates superb full-color photographs—fiery chromatic items, the celebrants caught in midaction, all situated in luscious, ideal settings. Children leap against a crystal blue sky, dive into a perfect waterhole, run atop a great sward of grass while kicking a ball, ride a swing in a meadow of wildflowers. Rotner throws in a few counterpoints- -``Napping,'' ``Yawning''—to keep readers on their toes. There are also some oddball word-and-picture pairings, e.g., a child ``Undressing'' to get into an empty pool, another ``Vacuuming'' an already immaculate automobile. Only if children know uppercase from lowercase will they be able to determine the featured letter. Nevertheless, the photos crackle with an energy that brings attention to the accompanying words, which punctuate the page in bold white typeface. (Picture book. 3-7)