This Atlantic alphabet book combines alliterative sentences with beautifully rendered realistic paintings. Each page consists of a large, detailed painting illustrating the sentence underneath; on either side of the sentence are small graphic boxes containing the upper and lower case letters.

The eye-catching design with the letters prominently displayed is appropriate for alphabet books for young children, but the vocabulary is too advanced for this audience. For instance, the “A” page reads: “Avid anglers, Angus and Anna, anchor on the arm.” These words will require explanation for children just learning their letters, but could be used to challenge older children to develop their own alliterative phrases. Author Donna Grassby, a Nova Scotian living in Ontario, has provided detailed endnotes and trivia tidbits about each alphabet page. This information, combined with her preface describing marine environments, will intrigue and inform older readers.

Artist Susan Tooke of Halifax has imbued her paintings with vivid hues, and has faithfully recreated actual places on the Atlantic seaboard, with locations given at the end. In each picture she has incorporated additional seaside objects beginning with the letter, such as a frog, a feather, ferns, and a fiddler for “F” along with the Fundy fossils described. Additional words are listed in the back, with further suggestions for discovery in each picture. Some suggested words are adjectives and unlikely to be found independently, such as “undulating grass” for the letter “U.” That aside, it’s evident that the author and illustrator (both new to the children’s book field) are passionate about the Maritimes in this celebration of summertime saltwater joys.