Creature ABC, by Andrew Zuckerman

Creature ABC is a gorgeous alphabet/nature book.  Each letter is illustrated by two pages of crisply detailed photography of fish, insects, birds, amphibians,and mammals.

Few books take my breath away as this does.  Each scale of the chameleon, feather of the yellow canary, and quill of the porcupine stands out in sharp relief against the white studio background.  The mandrill stares at the camera, looking unnervingly reminiscent of a man in a monkey mask.  This is a book to inspire a new generation of naturalists.

The book is a child's version of this artist's coffee table book Creature, which I think I'll need to seek out next.  I expect I'll seldom see this book again once I return it to the library.  It's so captivating that it won't last an hour on the shelf before another child snaps it up.  I love carrying books that inspire such joy and awe.