An ABC of Flowers

A miniature, line-drawn child named Amelie interacts with the letters of the alphabet, each of which represents a different flower. Photo illustrations are juxtaposed with the large, pastel-colored letters that begin each word, and bright flowers are set against crisp white backgrounds. Amelie is seen holding their stems or playing on or near the petals. Hilpuesch includes garden variety flora (rose and sunflower), but readers may not recognize others, including the purple Jacob's ladder and the fuchsia-colored kalanchoe. The X, Y, and Z entries close out the alphabet together as Amelie pulls a wagon full of xeranthemum, yarrow, and zinnia. A vividly photographed ABC book with a clean, sophisticated aesthetic. Ages up to 3. (Apr.)

PreS-Gr 2--Hilpuesch's fanciful line-drawn character, Amelie, frolics with brilliant photographs of blossoms representing the alphabet. Each page features a pastel, graphic-style letter and its blossom, from aster to zinnia. The letters' varied positions allow the diminutive figure of Amelie, and sometimes her young male friend or a pup, to engage by picking daisy petals, drumming on the underside of an evening primrose, or having tea atop a hibiscus leaf. The finale is a pretty spread, perfect for practicing letters and flora identification. The engaging mixed media artwork is done in Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop and Procreate. VERDICT Uplifting eye candy, and a venue for the author's Instagram cutie.--Gay Lynn Van Vleck, Henrico County Library, Glen Allen, VA