What Do Animals Do on the Weekend? Adventures from a to Z Book

Author and illustrator Lauren Faulkenberry takes readers on a lively adventure through the alphabet from A to Z. Stylish and vibrantly illustrated, this read-aloud picture book visits an imaginary world where tigers tango, penguins picnic, and bobcats play be-bop and blues. But there are fun facts to learn, too. Adults and children can discover together that leopards eat their dinners in trees, Eskimos invented kayaks to hunt whales, and crocodiles can grow to be 20 feet long.

The concept for this book was developed based on Faulkenberry's love of woodcuts, interest in unusual animal behavior, and preoccupation with the alphabet. The illustrations are linoleum block prints, colored digitally.

Each page contains fascinating facts about the animals, places, or people represented in the four-color, block-print illustrations.

Author Biography: Lauren Faulkenberry earned her B.F.A. at Washington University in St. Louis, where she began watching all sorts of animals on the weekends. She has always had a passion for books, and it was in art school that she was introduced to the printing press. From there she traded in her paintbrushes and went on to study printmaking and handmade book production. She currently works as a freelance illustrator, writer, and mural painter.

School Library Journal

K-Gr 3-Faulkenberry offers an engaging exploration of the alphabet by presenting leisure-time activities of animal pairs. For example, kangaroos Kevin and Kyra kayak in Kenya. Each vignette is accompanied by a striking full-page linoleum-block illustration, noteworthy for rich color tones and clean style. In fact, the hallmark of the book is its striking page design. The text block is surrounded by abundant white space, and a small element from the larger facing illustration is repeated at the bottom. This inset is accompanied by one or two facts related to the text. For example, "Y" addresses the Yukon and yodeling. Each large illustration includes at least one other object starting with the target letter, and the complete alphabet on the endpapers provides hints for searchers. The actual letters are quite hard to decipher, with various type styles overlaying one another at the start of the paragraph and the text itself superimposed on yet another version of the letter. For groups or individuals exploring words and expanding vocabulary, the book provides an enjoyable alphabet review.-Kathy Piehl, Minnesota State University, Mankato Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.