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An alligator is stepping on the first page of Creature ABC, his foot so big you can lay your hand on top of it and so detailed you can see individual scales and extended claws. Opposite this partial view of the alligator are a capital and lower-case letter A in black text, filling three-quarters of the page.
Appearing against white backgrounds, the partial view of the alligator and its corresponding letter page hint at what’s to come when the page is turned - in this case, a full double-page spread of an alligator. Angled so he’s looking right at us, and photographed entirely from head to tail, the gator looks enormous. Surrounded by zebra-striped endpapers, the animals photographed for Creature ABC include birds, insects, reptiles, amphibians, mammals, and fish.
Although most of the photos in this book feature one animal for each letter, some letters - such as I and U - show many. There’s a chameleon for C and rooster for R and vulture for V, but the I page is crawling with insects and the U page (for underwater) is surrounded by four different kinds of fish.
These photographs are so eye-catching that children will have no trouble sitting through all twenty-six letters of the alphabet. As they get older, they can turn to the four-page glossary at the back of the book and read two or three facts about each creature, such as information about diet, habitat, size, or speed. These factoids appear beside each letter and under a photograph of the corresponding animal - in some cases in a different pose from the previous pages. Here the reader can find the elephant kneeling and bear roaring.
Zuckerman’s book immerses children in the world of wild animals. He completely captures the wrinkles, folds, and textures as well as the photogenic side of every animal. The beauty and charm contained in this book will never age. Creature ABC is a must-have for any alphabet collection.
Inspired by his own book Creature, this new title from photographer and director Zuckerman can be enjoyed by animal lovers young and old. Zuckerman lives in New York.
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Creature ABC