The ABC Animal Orchestra

From an aardvark squeezing her accordion to a zebra strumming a zither, preschoolers can learn the alphabet with the help of a charming crew of cheery animal friends playing music from instruments around the world; we're particularly fond of the owl playing an oboe, the skunk honking on a saxophone, and the xanthus hummingbird on the xylophone. The author of Skinny Brown Dog combines pen, pencil, and watercolor illustrations with collage elements for a delightful ABC; we love the endpapers that depict each animal in the shape of his or her respective letter.

"Blending painted and collaged elements, [Donald] Saaf's images have a welcoming, folk-art vibe. Readers will practically hear the joyful noise as they spot the playful details in each spread."—Publishers Weekly