Diverse babies clad in animal costumes enjoy learning the alphabet and playing in the outdoors.This rhyming book with babies dressed as animals is both cute and familiar. In alphabetical order according to the costumes they wear, each baby engages in an activity. "Giraffe baby likes skipping rocks. / Hippo baby likes building with blocks." The illustrations are sweetly rendered in a mix of line drawing and watercolor in an array of muted colors. Many of the babies interact as the couplets play out, as when the jaguar baby persuades the iguana baby to remain with the group despite the disappointment of a fallen ice cream cone. The full cast of characters can be seen popping in and out in backgrounds, which will prompt children to flip back and forth as the text identifies previously seen babies. This will make for a very engaging and thoughtful storytime read-aloud even if all of the animals aren't necessarily recognizable to lap-sitters and little learners. The Ulysses butterfly baby and X-ray tetra baby are likely to be new to young readers, for instance, and their concept-forced specificity contrasts with the generic identification of most other babies, such as the dog, turtle, and whale babies. Significantly, the monkey baby is depicted with light skin and sits in a boat with a dark-skinned narwhal baby.Fans of Anne Geddes' work in particular will be drawn to this delightful picture book. (Picture book. 2-5)

In an alphabet book that takes place in an airy woodland setting, babies dress in footsie-style animal costumes. The babies-more distinguishable by their costumes than by their similar facial features-appear playing games, singly or in groups, joyful or feeling gloomy. A -fox baby- is seen walking a dachshund across a small bridge. In a little boat on a small pond, a -monkey baby makes a wish. Narwhal baby catches fish- (the fishing line is tied to the narwhal-s horn), and an -iguana baby- with spikes from head to tail laments his fallen ice cream. Adams makes playful use of alliteration in her verse, while the nifty animal costumes may provide readers with creative inspiration. Ages 4-8. (Feb.)

Toddler-PreS Dressed head-to-toe as "baby" animals, kids find active ways to spend their day appearing in animal alphabetical order. "Alligator baby wants to play./Bunny baby says, 'Okay.'" There is very little story here, and the text simply restates what happens in the pictures. In some cases, the text would be indecipherable without the illustrations. (For example, "Vulture baby says, 'You haven't caught one yet?'" is pictured with another child chasing butterflies.) Several of the depicted activities are beyond the scope of the preschool audience (playing jacks, skipping rocks), and the early elementary set will find the "baby" theme distasteful. Disappointingly, the animals seem arbitrarily selected, and the text relies entirely on the illustrations to hold it together. Lundquist's gouache and pencil illustrations are gentle and whimsical, just like the subjects of her pictures. She effectively uses minimalist backgrounds, making details in the forefront pop with color. VERDICT Other than the illustrations, there is little else to recommend this book. With so many alphabet books on the market, this one can be passed over. Richelle Rose, Kenton County Public Library, KY