The Handmade Alphabet

ENQUIRING MINDS... The I Want to Know series, imported from Italy, rolls out with Rain, Where Do You Come From?; Flower, Why Do You Smell So Nice?; Wind, What Makes You Move? and Sun, Where Do You Go?, all by Francesca Grazzini, illus. by Chiara Carrer. The books teach natural history through curious cartoon animals-the narrators include a bird who learns from the wind and a bee who quizzes a flower about pollination. The varied format includes simple poems and informal games/quizzes. Illustrations are fresh and winsome; the frog in Rain is particularly inspired and expressive. PW called this book displaying the American Sign Language alphabet "exceptionally striking... a glorious success." All ages. (Nov.)