This book is a refreshing change from typical children's alphabet or poetry fare. It assumes what most kids already know: To get their attention, you've got to appeal to their imagination and creativity. Any book that likens an icicle to "tiger teeth" and describes a vacuum cleaner as "the nosy old hummer" that "bump-rubs every corner / so every crumb / of dust and fuzz vanishes / into its hum" definitely does just that--and more.

One six-year-old girl remarked, "That book is funny. And the words are real nice." In addition to the music of Updike's poetry, the read-aloud group loved the photos, abundant images of kids with familiar objects that inspired discussion about the listeners' own experiences.

The endpages, which got almost as much attention as the rest of the book, feature color-block squares with alternating alphabet letters and photos from the book's main pages. At least four members of the audience made a game out of matching the letters to their corresponding objects.

For more Updike for kids, try the newly revised, award-winning A Child's Calendar. Or for a different, but no less delightful, look at the alphabet, check out A World of Words, by Tobi Tobias.