[.ca] Alphabet Under Construction (ISBN 0805068481)

From Amazon.com:
The only one having a better time than the buck-toothed Mouse in Alphabet Under Construction is Denise Fleming, the gifted writer and illustrator who here brings back the hungry hero of Lunch for a trip through the alphabet and an arts-and-crafts roll call. Letter by letter, page by page, the playful Mouse "constructs" the alphabet--airbrushing the A, buttoning the B, carving the C, and so on, employing all manner of scaffolds, ladders, and high- and low-tech devices to get the job done. (Clearly Mouse didn't really blow his budget until near the end, on the custom tiles, the X-ray machine, and the welding equipment.) Fleming employs an arcane process that involves "pouring colored cotton pulp through hand-cut stencils" to create her distinctive style. But fortunately, you don't have to have any idea what that means to enjoy her sense of humor, her vibrant colors, and her boisterous compositions. Mouse gets messy before it's all over, but he delivers the alphabet on time--and only has to work two weekends! (As a funny touch, Fleming includes a note-covered project calendar that Mouse collapses under as he finishes.) Alphabet Under Construction also includes a fold-out, 42-by-7-inch poster that shows every page, from A to Z. (Ages 4 to 8) --Paul Hughes

Creative, Inventive, and Lots of Fun.....:
Dear little mouse has a big job to do, building the entire alphabet with art supplies and construction tools, and he gets right to work Airbrushing the A, Buttoning the B, and Carving the C. And as he moves quickly, letter by letter, Folding the F, Measuring the M, Pruning the P, Vacuuming the V, or Zipping the Z, little ones will revel in all the creative fun. Author, Denise Fleming's text is kept to a bare minimum, just the letter and construction verb. It's her big, bold, and vibrant artwork, dazzling with entertaining details and engaging humor, that makes this book stand out. Perfect for preschoolers, Alphabet Under Construction is not just another "learn your letters" picture book, but an imaginative and inventive, joyous romp that shouldn't be missed.

Fleming does another great one:
Fleming's art is fantastic--her abstract art works really well here in this context. A wonderful romp through the alphabet with the mouse from Lunch--witty variations on what to do with each letter as the mouse tries to build the alphabet in order (action verbs introduce each letter: the mouse kinks the "k" and vacuums the "v"). The book also comes with a poster--a nice addition for those who like Fleming's work. Highly recommended.