Often I review a few of the new ABC books for children. I had decided not to do that this year, planning to highlight other inventive picture books instead. But being an alphabet book bibliophile, I couldn't resist Tony DiTerlizzi's recent nonsense book, "G is for One Gzonk! An Alpha-Number-Bet Book" (Simon & Schuster). This will surely capture children's attention with its humorous illustrations and off-the-wall text reminiscent of Dr. Seuss' antics.
DiTerlizzi (Spiderwick series) collects a 26-piece menagerie of "creachlings" that have little or nothing to do with the alphabet letter they are supposed to represent. For example, Dinkalicious Dinky eats bananas from a tin and nothing else remotely recognizable as beginning with a D. Also, Grand Gzonk balances the oddest things on his nose, none of which are G items.
Two of my favorites are Striped and Squirty Swizzle-Whizzle, who yells at a Hoofle-Foofle and Xirzle (X is always a troublesome letter in an alphabet book!), which is represented by the number 10, or Roman numeral X.
A straggly-haired childlike artist paints these titillating characters with the help of Teedle-Weenie Woos, numbered blobs that appear in groups ("You never see just one of us ...") that gyrate, float and spin through the adventure.
When Ravenous Rotoid with 60 screws inside his head goes berserk, the book begins again with A. Twosie and Threesie (those are the Teedle-Weenie Woos, you see) come to rescue, and the book gets back on track. Confusing? Well, you've just got to see it and look and listen. This is a book — just like Seuss — that has magic in the sounds and pictures. "G is for One Gzonk!" will probably not teach the alphabet to beginning readers but will surely be a good laugh for any age reader.
E-mail: marilou.sorensen.worldnetatt.net