What About X? An Alphabet Adventure

From A to Z, the students of the Alphabet Academy are heading on a camping trip in this playful picture book, What About X?

All the letters of the alphabet know exactly what to pack for their big camping trip. B is bringing binoculars. C is collecting canteens. But X can’t think of a thing to bring!

In her picture book debut, author Anne Marie Houppert combines the excitement of a first field trip with the magic of collaboration and friendship. Illustrator Daniel Wiseman paints maximum personality into each character, underlining the idea that everyone is special and necessary—just like every letter of the alphabet!

“Houppert creates plenty of fun along the way. As the high-energy characters make their decisions, even pre-readers may want to suggest their own additions to the trip. Fun for reading aloud.” —Booklist

“Colorful letters with expressive faces, spindly arms and legs, and a few character-defining accessories add to the book’s playfulness, with lots of details throughout to pore over on repeat reads.” —Horn Book

Anne Marie Houppert is a senior librarian at the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine in Washington, DC. She has published articles in industry journals and authored a blog for National Geographic magazine called NG Revisited. This is her first picture book. She lives in Rockville, Maryland. Daniel Wiseman is the illustrator of many picture books and board books, including Rad! and When Your Lion Needs a Bath. He lives in Knoxville, Tennessee, with his family.