From angelfish to zebrafish, the creators of the Pout-Pout Fish bring readers a touch-and-feel alphabet exploration. One or two letters are presented on each spread, accompanied by illustrator Hanna's sea critters, which aim for cute rather than realistic. About one-third of the depicted creatures have a tactile feature embedded in the page, such as a glittery roughness on the hammerhead shark, a glow-in-the-dark element on the lantern fish, and even a sticky film on the octopus' suction cups. There is no attempt to depict scale, which may confuse youngsters since a krill shrimp is as large as many much-larger creatures presented. Young fans of the Pout-Pout Fish may be disappointed, as there is only one appearance of the titular hero ("P is for Pout-Pout Fish," of course). Let this one swim on by. There are plenty more (and better!) ocean-themed alphabet books in the sea. (Board book. 1-3)

Diesen and Hanna identify 26 aquatic creatures, one for each letter of the alphabet, in this board book spin-off of their Pout-Pout Fish series. A good mix of familiar and less-known specimens are included (-I is for Isopod- appears opposite -J is for Jellyfish-), and the occasional touch-and-feel elements include some nifty choices: the lantern hanging from a lantern fish glows in the dark, an octopus-s tentacles are slightly tacky to the touch, and a sea horse-s bulging abdomen suggests a baby bump. Hanna-s goofily charming illustrations continue to entertain, and in case there was any question: P is absolutely for Pout-Pout Fish. Ages 1-4. (Aug.)