Salmon, Caspar. Now You Know Your ABCs… (Or Do You?). Matt Hunt, Illus. Nosy Crow, 04/2026. [32]pp. Picture Book. Trade $18.99. 979-8-88777-224-0. GRADES Kindergarten–3. HIGH ADDITIONAL.
An unseen narrator encourages readers to call out the word for each letter, beginning with “A” for apple, but soon veers off to unexpected words when a wolf shows up. As the story deals with the crisis and travels through different landscapes, each phrase keeps up with the alphabet theme but draws on funny and unusual choices—“lost, ” “Madame,” and “non” make an appearance as we land in France. This meta-fictional take on the alphabet will make more sense to school-age readers than to young children learning the alphabet, because they will understand the humor and will be able to predict some of the word choices. The full-color cartoon artwork offers a chance for readers to find the wolf, who is often hidden in the background in many scenes. This will appeal to fans of Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus by Mo Willems and The Book With No Pictures by B.J. Novak, although not as clever as either.
Penny Peck—San José State University iSchool