2018 School Spending Survey Report
8: An Animal Alphabet
illus. by Elisha Cooper. 40p. Scholastic/Orchard. Jul. 2015. Tr $17.99. ISBN 9780545470834.
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PreS-Gr 2—More than an oversize alphabet book (and slightly less than most counting books). Cooper's 8 is filled with playful representations of animals both familiar and exotic. He explains that he chose the number "because 8 is round and adorable…not too big, and not so small, but just right." Each letter features several different animals including one type that's depicted eight times, which is what encourages the counting element of the book. Some may quibble that the animals are not drawn to scale (for instance, a dung beetle should not appear as large as a deer's tail), but the fun of seeing eight varieties of hummingbirds or being introduced to a yabby surely outweighs such petty complaints. All of the creatures are identified in the formidable pictorial "Did You Know?" section at the back.
VERDICT Unusual in its conception and scope and illustrated with joy, this is an alphabet book to pore over, worth adding to any collection.
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