An outstanding alphabet book that is graphically distinguished as well as useful for the purpose intended: object and letter identification. Most objects pictured, one per page, will be common to young children (although a few like "arrowhead" and "quotation mark" may not), and they will be easily identified. The use of clean lines and simple shapes throughout, with occasional subtle texturing, renders the book artistic yet accessible. The organizing principle is clear and consistent as well as unique. Each keyword is printed in clear, lowercase typeface, white on black, with a black flap framing the object. The flap lifts to reveal that the picture is indeed part of the alphabet letter itself, therein making creative use of negative space. Two balloons representing the letter "b" actually form the holes in the capital letter "B." Each page comes as an ingenious surprise. Colors are saturated and show up handsomely inside the black frames. Printed on sturdy stock, this should survive many circulations in small hands. Beautifully designed, fascinating to browse, and eminently successful. (Picture book. 3-6) Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Seeger (I Had a Rooster), the niece of folksinger Pete Seeger, has devised an artful lift-the-flap ABC. From A to Z, labeled die-cut openings in glossy black paper purport to show an "arrowhead," "balloons," a "cloud" and a "door." When readers peek beneath the paper frames, however, they discover a letter of the alphabet. What look like two horizontal white "eggs" on a gingham napkin are also the indentations in a letter E. Two parallel "nails," tilting on a diagonal, turn out to be the slanted angles of the capital N. A plump white "quotation mark" against a red background doubles as the oval center of a Q. And the curvaceous hollow body of a "ukelele" forms the dip in the letter U. Seeger inverts positive and negative space in her paintings, whose warm colors glow from the windows in the light-absorbing black paper; she even incorporates die-cuts into the dust jacket. Her words and images indicate which letter lurks under each flap, and her variably sized rectangular windows give tantalizing hints to the "hidden" shapes. The design is unerringly elegant: each flap lifts from bottom to top to reveal a solid, symmetrical letter form, and the 26 folded pages, printed on tough heavyweight stock, make for a thick but not unwieldy volume. Seeger makes an interactive game of the alphabet and fashions a sophisticated presentation. Ages 2-6. (Sept.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved

PreS-Gr 2-On each page of this skillfully crafted alphabet book, an object appears within a box cut from a black flap. Lift the flap, and a vividly colored, subtly textured painting reveals both object and letter. Art students as well as preschoolers will find much to explore. (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

PreS. Seeger's Hidden Alphabet uses a timeworn approach to A through Z that matches each letter with a word that begins with that letter, then adds a lift-the-flap format and a striking graphic design to transform the book into something new. Each shiny, thick black page features a cut-away through which children can view vibrantly colored objects, such as balloons. By lifting the flap, children will be surprised to discover that the object actually forms part of a letter.ids may need help recognizing some of the objects featured, but the design is bold and clean enough to make the letters easily discernible. It is a book that manages to be both child friendly and visually exciting. --Gillian Engberg Copyright 2004 Booklist

Seeger's The Hidden Alphabet, originally published in 2003, is back in print, with a clever and more colorful cover that will have readers exercising their visual acuity before they even open up the book. The January 2004 Horn Book review called this "a Concept Book with a capital C...a snazzy -- though sophisticated -- addition to the alphabet bookshelf." An equally snazzy book trailer (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=My6ECFUqeP0) re-enacts the reading experience without the lift-the-flap action or page turns but moves at too quick a pace for viewers to appreciate Seeger's ingenuity. Having the book in hand allows readers to take their time looking at each object before lifting the black matte-like flap and seeing the object morph from positive space to negative space within the corresponding letter of the alphabet. And readers are likely to repeat this action a few times in order to marvel at the metamorphosis. Libraries with tattered copies will especially want this new paper over board edition. jennifer m. brabander (c) Copyright 2011. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.