A is for apple that grows on the tree" may sound like a pretty conventional beginning for an ABC book, but when the accompanying illustration depicts an aardvark balancing on an anteater, reaching up for the juicy red fruit while bemused ants look on from the branches above, readers know they're in for a treat. Each page contains an upper- and lowercase letter, with an action-packed picture featuring animals and objects beginning with that letter. The rollicking rhyme scheme is amusing and fresh-"u is for unicorn, uncle, and udder/v is for vampire whose teeth make you shudder"-and the full-bleed watercolor paintings are as bright as candied apples. Grammar purists may object to the phrase "l is for loving, like Daddy loves you," but it's hard to fault a book that's so brimming with color, action, and humor. It can be used as a fun read-aloud to a group as well as for one-on-one sharing.