Related: The hipster ABC matching tile game, for parents who value reading proficiency and irony.
ABC Pasta by Juana Medina It had me at pasta, but the charming sketches of "basil balancing ballerinas" and an "orzo orchestra" sealed the deal.
Ah-ha to Zig-Zag by Maira Kalman This book is both artistic and humorous, as it explores objects from the Smithsonian Design Museum, with a fun, creative challenge for kids at the end.
An Alphabet in Bloom by Nathalie Trovato This book doesn't include any letters. Instead, you have to recognize that the page for S shows a shovel, a spider, a snail, and some seeds, and so on. My kids have so much fun searching for the clues.
DIY ABC by Eleonora Marton You won't get away with just reading this book because every page asks you to get creative to complete the illustration. For kids who are close to mastering their letters, this interactive book is perfect.
Related: Star Wars alphabet and counting posters: Learn ABCs and 123s, you will.
ABC Yoga by Christiane Engle Get out the yoga mats before you read this book. Poses for every letter will keep you busy for at least 30 minutes. (Also, her ABC Love is brand new, and the world could always use a little more love, right?)
Daytime Visions by Isol Every bit of this unexpected, imaginative book is magical and leaves me wanting to know more of the story. And my kids are happy to suggest what that story might be. Yes, it's a little artsy and obscure, but I love that my kids have to think just a bit about which word connects to the special letter.Z is for Moose by Kelly Bingham and Paul O. Zelinsky It isn't, actually. But the impatient Moose in this very funny book thinks it, and every other letter of the alphabet, is for him. Kids who know better will find this one really silly in a good way.
Alphablock by Christopher Franceschielli This big, chunky board book has die-cut letters your kids can trace with their fingers as they flip through the pages. It's been around for a few years, but it's still one of my kids' favorites.
Once Upon an Alphabet: Short Stories for All the Letters by Oliver Jeffers Oliver Jeffers never disappoints, and the wicked sense of humor throughout this book usually has our kids (and us) giggling. As you can see from the letter V's page, his humor is a little dark so it might be best for elementary-aged kids, and not your littlest guys.
An Artist's Alphabet by Norman Messenger This book (also shown at the very top) is so gorgeous, I almost want to take it apart and frame the pages for my kids' rooms. Watching them trace the letters with their fingers once they discover them in the works of art is so sweet. (Can you see the capital R?)
RAD American Women A to Z by Kate Schatz and Miriam Klein Stahl While this one isn't for kids just learning to read, we're making these short bios of important American women -- from Carol Burnett to Queen Bessie Coleman -- required reading for all our tweens and teens, girls and boys.
