Miska Miles has masterfully composed a genuinely interesting story set to an acrostic of the alphabet. An Apricot falls from a tree, startling a Bee, which calls some Crickets and Caterpillars to come and see. All manner of creatures from different environs encounter the apricot, until a hen happens by and eats it. Seasons pass until the apricot seed shoots and sprouts to become a young apricot tree.

The story includes the four seasons through the plant's life cycle, and also depicts many small creatures and plants in their natural environments. It wonderfully combines a multi-layered experience of the natural world with the didactic instruction about the alphabet. Peter Parnall's illustrations are clean-lined and lively, and he blends each letter into the meadow's environment for readers to find.

Apricot ABC brings together many elements that make a children's book excellent: interesting illustrations, well-written rhyming text, rhythmic pacing, a little bit of drama, an experience of the outdoor world, some unusual vocabulary, and a visual "I spy" element. It is an outstanding addition to a home library.