Apples A to Z

McNamara (The Three Little Aliens and the Big Bad Robot) offers a smart, alphabetical tour of all things apple, handsomely illustrated by Parker (the Missile Mouse series). Through such entries as "deciduous," "grafting," "nutritious," and "pollen," McNamara shares concise and informative details about apples and the trees that bear them; products that derive from apples (cider, juice, pie) also get their due. A particularly nifty "V is for varieties" page offers an apple type for every letter of the alphabet, from Aroma to Zabergau, each carefully depicted by Parker. Guiding readers through the book is bushy-tailed Fox and his animal cohorts, a happy crew of apple-lovers that Parker imbues with a good amount of personality, invigorating the straightforward delivery of the text. Ages 3-6. Illustrator's agent: Judith Hansen, Hansen Literary Agency. (Aug.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

PreS-Gr 2-Fox, Bear, and their friends travel through the alphabet supplying facts about everything apple. The format means that chronology occasionally goes by the wayside, with the trees losing their leaves ("D is for DECIDUOUS") before the fruit has been picked ("H is for HARVEST"), but otherwise the information is presented with clarity. There is a Disney-esque feel to the illustrations, which are bright and child-friendly and add humor to the text. Back matter includes a brief biography of Johnny Appleseed, apple activities and jokes, and an explanation of various related expressions. This is a pleasant addition to the canon of apple books in demand every fall, but not an essential purchase if this subject is already well represented.-Grace Oliff, Ann Blanche Smith School, Hillsdale, NJ (c) Copyright 2012. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.