"Cece Bell loves music and collecting old record albums, her introduction explains, especially albums featuring animal artists. The bouncing harmonies of the Barbershop Beagles, the elegant crooning of the elephant Ella Fontaine, the hilarious rhymes of the Hip-Hop Hedgehogs--all are represented in this quirky ABC book that draws on the creator's personal collection of albums, memorabilia, and lyrics dating between 1944 and 1984, the heyday of album design. With wry, witty text, silly and sumptuous sound play, and biographical end matter on all twenty-six musical acts, the book commands and stands up to repeated readings. Bright, zany art--all painted and lettered by hand--a stellar design, and an album-size trim make it a collector's item in its own right, sure to grace the coffee tables of vinyl- and design-loving adults even as it tickles young funny bones. A hootenanny hosted by the creator of the Newbery Honor Book and Eisner Award winner El Deafo, Animal Albums from A to Z also quietly reminds us just how much music can mean to everyone." -- From the publisher.

Side One. My aromatic armpit is astonishing to all -- Bud believes in Betty (but Betty believes in Brad) -- Mmm, clams -- Dubba dubba dachshund dance -- An enchanted elbow -- Fleas in the flapjacks, fiddledeedee -- Gnarly gnomes -- Hey Howard -- I am an inspiration to me -- Judy jumps on Jupiter -- I'm keen on kugel -- I like to lick lemons -- I'm in the mood for mustard -- Side Two. Nancy's in the neighborhood -- The oysters are a little off -- Philip, phone the plumber (it's time to pump the pot) -- You're not quite qualified -- Rhapsody for a rogue rodent -- Sometimes the soup is salty -- Teeny tiny teacup toad -- So many ungrateful ungulates -- Eat your vittles, Vivian -- Whoa, that weevil is weird -- Use your inside vox -- The yokel over yonder -- You snooze, you ooze.