The Alphabet from A to Y, with Bonus Letter Z

Alphabet books are fun, but most are written for younger readers; this one is more on the unique and zany side than most, and its humor is definitely pointed toward an older audience. This creates a weird situation: While readers of any age might enjoy the book on some level, and parents will not tire of reading it to their children, most young readers will miss many of the clever jokes in both the drawings and the text. And some references are clearly inappropriate for more impressionable kids. Still, older kids -- who are the more appropriate audience -- may not be interested in a book about sounds and letters ... at least at first glance.

The cover, with its small details and intriguing title, is captivating. The inner covers are full of letter-based symbols chatting in cartoon fashion about their special skills and talents. And, from that point on, the silliness just grows! Letters from A to Y, and including the bonus z, are presented in unusual and playful illustrations that are sure to entertain all ages. The alliterative couplets that play on presented sounds are weird and crazy, and Steve Martin fans will hear his voice in the writing. From "Amiable Amy, Alice, and Andie" and "Bad Baby Bubbleducks" to "Yuri the yeti" and "Zany Zeno," the names of the characters as well as their scenarios reverberate with his off-the-wall humor. The illustrations drawn by Roz Chast are just as imaginative, and readers familiar with The New Yorker magazine will recognize the jittery lines of her intricately comic drawings. Here they fit perfectly with Martin's tone and make this a book well worth checking out.