A is for Musk Ox (Musk Ox #1)

Close on the heels of Z Is for Moose, another M animal--a musk ox--monopolizes the alphabet. As in the earlier book, a hapless zebra tries to maintain an orderly alphabet. In this case, though, the megalomaniacal musk ox dominates, teasing his opponent like a pushy older sibling and offering reasons (some better than others) why musk oxen can represent every letter. After eating the letter-A Apple, the ox proclaims, "musk oxen are awesome! Plus, we live in the Arctic, which includes some of Alaska." A baby is displaced by the "brown and black" of ox fur, and a clown shivers on the tundra while the musk ox claims "cool" and "Canada, too." Debut author Cabatingan has an able collaborator in Myers (Tyrannosaurus Dad), who pictures the golden-blond ox as outwardly mellow, at least until the zebra rejects "kool" for K ("Fine. K is for musk ox because musk oxen like to kick anyone who disagrees with them"). Where the moose book is breathlessly zany, this ABC succeeds thanks to its hero's unstoppable swagger. Ages 5-8. Agent: Nancy Gallt Literary Agency. Illustrator's agent: Steven Malk, Writers House. (Oct.)

PreS-Gr 4--A self-involved musk ox and a practical zebra argue their way through this book that pairs each letter with adjectives that can describe or nouns that list characteristics of the musk ox. Written entirely in dialogic exchanges and illustrated in oil on board, with clever collagelike correction tape over the more common alphabet words (apple, baby, clown), the book makes its way from A to Z. The musk ox declares himself awesome, brown, and cool (also, living in Canada). The apple is eaten, "baby" covered over, and the clown shivers in the cold. At the end, Z is for Zebra, our zebra, who is shown posing in an embarrassing photograph of him as a baby. Children will find the dialogue hilarious, and teachers will be able to encourage student re-writes. Read this along with Nick Bruel's Bad Kitty (Roaring Brook, 2005) for older wordsmiths. For younger students, pair it with Mike Lester's A Is for Salad (Grosset & Dunlap, 2000) and Mary Etling and Michael Folsom's classic Q Is for Duck (Clarion, 1980) for some higher-order alphabet guessing games.--Lisa Egly Lehmuller, St. Patrick's Catholic School, Charlotte, NC

..".this ABC succeeds thanks to its hero's unstoppable swagger." —Publishers Weekly

..".this vibrantly illustrated romp will deliver big laughs." —Kirkus

"This is best suited for youngsters who've moved on from alphabet books entirely and who will get a kick out of chaotic disarrangement of the old familiar formula." —BCCB