Clever Conversations With Companions

Each time you step out into the world, you're never quite sure what you will see, smell, taste, touch or hear. You're never quite sure who you will meet. It's a step taken with a sense of adventure laden with anticipation.  There is always the chance of the extraordinary happening.  

When you are greeted with something marvelous, you will silently watch, storing it in your memories to replay in the future.  Curious EnCOUNTers: 1 to 13 Forest Friends (Little Bigfoot, an imprint of Sasquatch Books, August 4, 2020) written by Ben Clanton with illustrations by Jessixa Bagley is about a girl whose exploration of a forest yields wondrous word play. Fortunately for us, she shares the experience.

Off we go for a walk through

the woods!  I wonder where

the trail will lead and what

we'll see along the way.

So begins a magical numerical journey from one through thirteen.  Each meeting reveals animals in action with accompanying conversations.  First, we meet a moose with directorial ambitions.  In fact, he is making a

moose-ical.

A duo of raccoons exhibit contrasting behaviors; one continuing with musical inclinations and the other a book worm.  Closer inspection displays a trio of slugs engaged in the pursuit of beverage goodness.  A foursome constructs a residence above ground while wolves engage in knitting wool supplied by a sheep.  

The next group of animals, numbering six, might be wearing clothing shaped by the previous wolves.  Beavers are busy, but not from building dams.  On the water, you'll find a strange pack paddling around in vessels destined to tip if they are not careful.  There are continued antics on the water courtesy of resident rascals.

What do you think ten bears are using as transportation along the shore?  They might be on their way to listen to or watch watery inhabitants perform.  Above this, seagulls swoop.  As the story comes to its conclusion, the girl quietly notices the results of her trek through the forest.

As soon as the girl sees the first animal, we know author Ben Clanton will be entertaining us at every page turn. Alliteration is masterfully used with various parts of speech in each of the numbered statements.  The commentary by the animals uses language artfully.  You'll find puns, homonyms, and rhyming.  Here is a partial passage.

7

Seven beavers

baking bread.

We're on

a roll!

This bread will be

even butter than 

yeast-erday's!

Readers will be instantly enamored of the animal depictions by artist Jessixa Bagley.  The fine lines, intricate details, animated postures, and expressive facial features welcome you to participate in their activities.  The happiness they exhibit through a full-color palette and softly textured backgrounds is contagious.  On the front of the book case are animals normally found in a forest.  To the left, on the back, are those one might see in the water (with one exception).  The text here reads:

Find some friends you can

COUNT on for fun in this curious

collection of creatures!

The orca is saying:

It's been a whale since

I've laughed so much!

On the opening and closing endpapers are brightly colored numbers one through thirteen.  On the closing endpapers, on the right side, is information about Ben Clanton and Jessixa Bagley you might find on the back flap of a dust jacket.  On the title page two different animal companions are speaking the title in speech balloons, like on the front of the book case.  The dedications and publication information are placed on the final image.  The girl is engaged in an activity to remember these enchanting moments of the day.

Each page turn reveals a double-page picture.  In the first one the point of view is as if we are walking beside the girl.  The other images vary in perspective depending on the size of the animals.  In the final illustration, it is as if we are watching the girl from above her seated position.  

One of my many, many favorite illustrations is for 

5

Five wolves

weaving wool.

The wolves are working in a grassy landscape with taller grass on the left and thicker grass on the right.  In the lower left-hand corner, a sweater-wearing sheep is carrying two bags of wool.  One reads

100% NATURAL

and the other reads

BAAARBARA'S

WOOL

PARTNERSHEEP.

To the right of the sheep a seated wolf is nearly encased in a red scarf being knitted by another wolf wearing a ski hat.  The red wool for this is coming from a large rolled ball of yarn.  Crossing the gutter and moving to the right is a wolf on a stool spinning wool.  Several tufts of wool are in a basket nearby. Another wolf, seated on a stool, is holding yarn stretched between its paws as the final wolf, seated on a log, knits a tiny sweater with a red heart in its center. Everyone is smiling, even the sheep.  Not only is this image delightful but it is also humorous (as are many of the other visuals).

This book, Curious EnCOUNTers: 1 to 13 Forest Friends written by Ben Clanton with illustrations by Jessixa Bagley, is read aloud gold.  It asks you to read it more than once; initially sharing the statements and then following with the commentary on the second read.  It inspires you to write your own commentary for each of the animal groups.  I highly recommend this title for your personal and professional collections.

To learn more about Ben Clanton and Jessixa Bagley and their other work, please follow the links attached to their names to access their respective websites.  Ben Clanton has accounts on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube.  Jessixa Bagley has accounts on Instagram, and Twitter.  Ben Clanton was recently interviewed at KidLit411.  At Penguin Random House you can view interior images.

A Miscalculation

One day in the middle of August my canine companion refused to go out in the backyard in broad daylight.  Inside she paced and would not rest.  A quick conversation with a nearby neighbor confirmed their dog was pacing and barking.  This lasted for two hours. A call to the Department of Natural Resources revealed the distinct possibility of a browsing bear.  A wildlife biologist sent pamphlets and they were distributed.  Did neighbors take down their bird feeders?  Did the neighbors who leave their garbage carts out 24/7 put them in their garages?

A few weeks later when walking with my dog, a bear cub crossed the road about a half a block in front of us.  I did not say a word to anyone, certain in my mind no one would believe me.  Today I received a call from another neighbor, who knows I walk a lot each day, warning me of spotting a bear cub in the same vicinity.  Another call to the DNR resulted in receiving explicit instructions to remove bird feeders and garbage carts.  After a door to door canvas, we will see how people respond.

The truth is hungry animals in the wild, already encroached upon by an increasing population of humans, will seek the readiest food supply.  They have a keen sense of smell.  They have remarkable memories.  And they are clever.  This is how they survive.  One Fox: A Counting Book Thriller (Peachtree Publishing Company Inc., October 1, 2019) written and illustrated by Kate Read is about a wily predator who, as the suspense builds, gravely misjudges his prey.  This is how they survive.

1
One
famished
fox

One number at a time this cunning stalker moves closer to its meal.  In its sights are three chickens intent on devouring three juicy worms.  They are oblivious to the lurking danger.

The fox moves with stealth one paw at a time.  The now roosting hens snooze.  Nestled near them are more than four eggs but less than six.

The moon is high in a black nighttime sky.  The fox is right outside the chicken coop.  He's ready to make his move but first politeness takes precedence.

TAP! TAP! TAP! TAP! TAP! TAP! TAP!

Inside the henhouse it's darker than beneath the black nighttime sky except for the whites of four sets of eyes.  YIKES!  A frantic fracas ensues.  What has happened to the three hens?  More importantly, readers, you should be wondering about the

1
One
famished
fox.


Every suspenseful moment is presented in three word phrases except for a pause and the stunning surprise by author Kate Read in her debut picture book.  The use of alliteration and rhyming words astutely fashion a gentle beat.  By meticulous blending of story and counting readers, the intended audience and others, will be engaged and participating in the tale.


On the open and matching dust jacket and book case the fox is displayed in all its sly glory.  The folds in its fur, the direction of its ears, the eye looking at readers, the slight lines for its mouth and whiskers give us an up-close and personal view.  The title text takes its color from the fox's fur.  To the left, on the back, continuing with the same background, and in the center of the page, the fox's tail is flipped up in a curve with its white tip pointing to the left.  The text reads:

A gripping farmyard tale and fantastic
counting book for early learners

On the jacket the fox and the words One Fox are varnished.

On the opening endpapers is a pattern of colorful single paw prints.  Shades of red, blue, green and yellow and blends of these hues cover the pages except for one small portion.  In this the fox is tucked.  It's walking, smiling and looking behind it.  On the closing endpapers is an equally vivid array of sleeping hens set in diagonal rows.  Across the white verso (dedication and publication text) and title pages are twelve paw prints in various shades.

The illustrations by Kate Read are rendered

as mixed media with collage and painting.

The first illustration on a crisp white canvas is of the fox curled as if resting and opposite the words on the left.  It is next featured on the left, much closer to readers, looking ready to pounce or pursue.  All we see is its head, a small bit of its back and two front paws.  The text for this picture is on the right page.

When the number four is shown, the darkness is falling.  In this illustration Kate Read shifts her perspective.  The text is in a large horizontal column at the bottom of the page.  Along the top we see four paws and a tail moving in front of a shadowy chicken wire fence.  Now the crisp white background is replaced with black until a pause and pacing dictates change.  Hilarity follows on a page covered in chicken feet prints in many hues with the words

No hens or foxes were harmed
in the making of this book.

One of my many favorite illustrations is when the fox has its head in the henhouse.  It is a double-page picture (Nearly all of them are double-page pictures.) There are various shades of black to denote the straw, hens, the inside walls of the henhouse and the fox.  The number 8 is in red.  The text
is in white to match two sets of frightened eyes looking right at readers, one set of horrified eyes looking at the fox and another set of eyes fiercely looking at the chickens.  There is also a row of sharp white teeth.  This is when readers will probably gasp out loud.


As a read aloud, One Fox: A Counting Book Thriller written and illustrated by Kate Read, is a treasure.  With the right voice and pacing, the words and images will move off the page into the storytelling circle wrapping around listeners whether it's one-on-one or with a group.  I highly recommend this title for your personal and professional collections.

To discover more about Kate Read and her other work, please follow the link attached to her name to access her website.  Kate Read has accounts on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and Twitter.  At the publisher's website is an excerpt and an activity kit.  The book trailer is revealed at educator Alyson Beecher's site Kid Lit Frenzy

Too Much Or Not Enough

Using numbers for counting is a part of nearly everything we do daily.  We have ten minutes left before taking cookies out of the oven.  We are two miles away from the grocery store.  We pump five gallons of gas into our car's tank.  Let's plant those trees four feet apart.  We are consciously or unconsciously counting all the time.  

We probably don't take into consideration the impact of amounts and certain things, but it is an intriguing way to look at numbers.  Is 2 a Lot?: An Adventure with Numbers (Tilbury House Publishers, June 4, 2019) written by Annie Watson with illustrations by Rebecca Evans explores concepts of quantity.  Readers will discover perceptions or points of view do weigh heavily on what may or may not be a lot of something or anything.  You might want to buckle up and hang on tight.  This is no ordinary ride.

One day Joey had a very important question.

"Is 2 a lot?" he asked his mommy. 

Joey's mother's reply is very interesting.  Two pennies are not a lot, but two odoriferous skunks are a lot.  When Joey's mom swerves to avoid hitting the skunks, they end up on an unusual two-track road with warning signs. (The skunks hop inside their station wagon as they travel through a nearly abandoned library.  How did they get inside a library?  And why did the librarian jump into the back of the car with the skunks?)

Joey keeps asking his mother about numbers, increasing them by one until he jumps from five to ten.  They meet a battered knight in shining armor, a group of wayward dogs and cowboys on a city street.  With the appearance of dinosaurs, the traveling-through-time trip takes on a whole new dimension.  Joey's mother keeps on driving as more and more guests hop inside and on top of their car.

Joey's mind leaps from ten to fifty to one hundred and then to one thousand.  Comparisons are made to leaves and letters, and snowflakes and candles.  When the adventurers find themselves at a hot air balloon festival, Joey goes silent.

His mother, who has encouraged all his inquires, turns to him and asks a question of her own.  Thinking back to the contrasts supplied by Mommy, Joey reveals what he has learned.  He has learned, as have readers, a lot!

With every question and two-part answer given, readers learn about the concept of point of view and comparison.  This story, told through dialogue and some narrative, by debut picture book author, Annie Watson, is certain to have readers alternately laughing and thinking about the conversation between Joey and his mother.  Through choice of words author Annie Watson supplies opportunities for expanded thinking.  She also allows readers to see how asking questions of a caring adult is a wonderful way to get great answers.  Here is a passage.

"What about 4?" asked Joey.

"Is 4 a lot?"

His mommy smiled.

"FOUR is not a lot of children

in a school bus," she answered,

"but it is a lot of dogs to walk at once."

Looking at the front and back of the open and matching dust jacket and book case announces to readers this is an extraordinary book about numbers. How often are dinosaurs, running dogs, skunks. hot air balloons, cowboys, dinosaurs, a stuffed toy owl and a parent and child traveling in their station wagon shown together?  The bright color palette leaning toward primary colors welcomes readers.

To the left, on the back, the car driving toward readers is placed in the center of what appears to be a desert.  Two hungry, or at the very least, angry dinosaurs are chasing anything that moves.  Two royal soldiers, two cowboys on horses (one is a girl with braided pigtails flying behind her) two skunks, and two dogs are all running alongside the car.  Joey is one happy little boy.  Mommy is consulting a map.  (I don't think there's a map for where she is.)  A bumper sticker on the front of the car reads:

2 FAST . . .

2 CURIOUS!

The vivid sky blue from the jacket and case is used to cover the opening and closing endpapers.  Artist Rebecca Evans starts her pictorial interpretation on the title page showing Joey and his mother walking from their home to the station wagon.  On the verso and dedication pages we move closer to the car.  Mommy is buckling Joey into his car seat.  Joey is carrying a book which looks very familiar.  

With each page turn readers are given visual displays of two-page pictures, or two-page pictures with panel insets, some of them in a series.  Readers will want to stop and look carefully at each illustration especially after the warning signs when Mommy veers off the main road. Rebecca Evans infuses humor in each image.  Readers will be laughing out loud at the details in the settings, and facial expressions and actions of all the characters. 

The carry-over from one scene to the next is splendid.  It presents a continuous flow of motion.  The hilarity increases as the station wagon moves from one geographic location to the next while trekking through history.

One of my many favorite illustrations is at the beginning.  The daylight on the drive Joey and his mother are taking dims as the car avoids hitting the two skunks and takes a dirt road on their left.  This scene takes up all two pages with the car, road and skunks on the left and the darkening forest on the right.  Two warning signs are posted at the entrance to the dirt road.  A vertical inset shows the back of the car as it goes down the road.  The two skunks are scampering along behind it.  On the left is another warning sign.  Dinosaurs?  I can already hear the giggling and laughter of readers.

This book most certainly will engage readers in thoughtful thinking about numbers, counting, perspective and comparison.  Is 2 a Lot?: An Adventure with Numbers written by Annie Watson with illustrations by Rebecca Evans is brimming with action depicted in words and fantastical illustrations.  I know your personal and professional collections will be enhanced by having a copy of this title.

To learn more about Annie Watson and Rebecca Evans and their other work, please follow the links attached to their names to access their respective websites.  There is a classroom connection guide at Annie Watson's website.   Annie Watson has an account on Facebook.  Rebecca Evans has accounts on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Nighttime Numbers

Like a beloved lullaby there are favorite bedtime books.  The combination of words and illustrations sing to a sleepy soul.  Each phrase is a melody gently wrapping around the reader or listener.  These books are as important to a good night's sleep as a fluffed pillow, a cuddly stuffed toy or a soft blanket.

If you walk into a bedroom, next to the bed on a shelf or nightstand, they will be stacked in a place of honor.  Sleep Train (Viking, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC, April 3, 2018) written by Jonathan London with illustrations by Lauren Eldridge is one of those special titles.  As an engine pulls the cars down the track, a reader begins a ritual sure to lead to slumber.

Sleep Train
Jiggling down that track.

Ten sleepy cars
going clickety-clack.

Our narrator, a boy reading this book, states with the assurance of someone who has read these lines multiple times; one of the cars is his car.  One by one he names the cars and gives them a number.  First and second are the tender and the boxcar.  They are attached to cars numbering three and four.  Each of them has a specific use.

As the train rolls through the countryside the sounds of cows mingling with the sounds of the train make a tune all their own.  Two more cars, a hopper and a gondola, are recognized by the reader.  One has a color so brilliant, it's worth noting.

With eagerness numbers seven, eight and nine are listed.  All those sleepy cars are followed by the caboose,

a moonlit red.

Where is the reader?  Is he in number ten? Yes, he is!

He's in a particular place for those numbering the cars of a Sleep Train.  He counts and he counts, getting sleepier and sleepier.  Good night.


No stranger to appealing text for the intended audience, Jonathan London (the Froggy series) sends a soothing note to readers with his first three phrases.  His rhyming rhythm recreates the swaying of a train as it moves down a track.  It gently lulls us.  The repetition of key words enhances the peaceful cadence.  He also gives readers practice in counting from one to ten as well as acquainting them with the names of cars which can be found between the engine and caboose.  Here is a passage.

There's a flatbed car (that makes seven!)
and a coach with seats.
And there's a dining car
where everybody eats.

Now so far . . .
that makes nine---
nine sleepy cars 
rocking down that line.


When readers open the matching dust jacket and book case on Sleep Train they see spread before them a glorious nighttime sky replete with stars, a shimmering cloud of smoke from the engine's stack highlighting the dimensional title text.  When your eyes move to the left, on the back, the remainder of the cars and the caboose stretch behind.  A full moon hangs in the sky to light the tracks, train and waving prairie grasses.  The color palette here, and throughout the book, is rich with hues of blue, purple and red as the sun sets, dusk begins and darkness descends.

The opening and closing endpapers are a muted rose in two shades.  A pattern of tiny stars cover the background. The title page features the narrator, a boy, snuggled with his toy rabbit on his bed and holding this book.  Through his window we can see city buildings.  The dedication and verso pages showcase an image stepping back, giving us a larger view of his room.  Lauren Eldridge, illustrator, has tucked some wonderful Easter eggs in this scene.  Be sure to look at the child's bookshelf.

In an informative paragraph Lauren talks about how the illustrations were meticulously created by hand using such materials such as cardboard, paper, plaster cloth, acrylic paint, polymer clay, wire, wood, and acrylic eyeballs.  The boy's pajamas were hand sewn. She goes on to say:

Each environment is composed largely of household items, including an upside-down patio table, faux fur, Dixie cups, and washers.  The images were shot with a Nikon D7200 35mm and 10-24mm wide angle, and digitally manipulated.

All the illustrators span two pages, page edge to page edge.  We, like the boy and the train, are on a journey.  Each setting is photographic in detail. Birds fly across a sky gorgeous with the setting sun.  Cows rest and graze next to the train tracks.  A station master lifts a hand as the train travels past.  Each of the cars bears their correct number.  When we see the child in his car on the train, it's a blend of reality and a dream world.  The final single page image is like a sigh.

One of my many favorite pictures is of the train passing by an old grain elevator.  The elevator is set slightly to the left of the center on the right side.  The perspective moves closer to the engine on the left with cars numbering one, two, three, four and five getting smaller and smaller as they pass by the elevator.  A group of birds soars in the sky as if following the train as it makes its nightly trip.  The sky is shown in shades of blue, pale purple, pink and orange.  It literally glows.


Whether used with other counting books, titles about trains or a treasure to be tucked among other bedtime books, Sleep Train written by Jonathan London with illustrations created by Lauren Eldridge is a marvelous ode for all those seeking sleep.  The illustrations elevate the lilt of the text; together they are a tune to remember.  I can't imagine a professional or personal collection without this title.


To learn more about Jonathan London and Lauren Eldridge and their other work, please visit their websites by following the links attached to their names.  At the publisher's website you can view an interior image.  You will want to read the interview of Lauren at Brightly.  It contains information about her process.  She also chats about this book and her art at Publishers Weekly.  Lauren has an account on Twitter and Instagram.

Do The Math

When a book title signals the presence of wordplay, it declares to the reader humor is sure to follow.  This is an equation no one can resist.  These two elements plus a misleading mystery add up to a captivating escapade.

 If you multiple this by dynamic artwork, the volume you hold in your hand might be the new collaboration by author Tara Lazar and illustrator Ross MacDonald.  7 ATE 9: THE UNTOLD STORY (Disney Hyperion, May 16, 2017) is guaranteed to have readers calculating the odds of a numerical riddle resolution.  Let's start compiling the facts.

I was dozing in my chair when an urgent banging on my office door bolted me awake.

Private I watches as 6 races into his office, panic vibrating over every curve.  This guy figures his life span is about to be shortened.  He hears 7 is following him (and not in the usual way).

9 is missing; presumably consumed by 7.  It's only a matter of time before 6 gets gobbled up too.  Private I leaves the premises to stroll the streets, conduct some interviews and solve this problem.

8 is absolutely no help fleeing in fear.  A chat at the local diner, Cafe Uno, confirms the word 6 heard.  In speaking with 11 the first crack in the code of this case appears.  Moving from the docks back uptown Private I sees someone who changes the entire focus of the investigation.

Rushing back to his office he discovers the answer.  A heated conversation and new arrivals confirm his results.  In the end numbers simply can't lie.


The clever narrative penned by the equally clever Tara Lazar reads like the old crime dramas on television with the detective acting as the teller of the current tale.  This first person voice blended with dialogue gives the story an authentic you-are-there impression.  The puns and homonyms are hilarious with their mathematical (and other) references.  Here is a sample passage.

As a Private I, I'm used to his type---
numbers.  They're always stuck in a problem.
But I knew about this 7 fella.  He was odd.

"Take it easy, 6," I said.  "What's 7 up to?"

"Word on the street is that 7 ate 9!
And now he's after me," said 6.

"Well, technically, he's always after you."
I said.  "There's 5, then 6, then 7."

"See, that proves it!"


The image on the right of the matching dust jacket and book case moves over the spine to the left, on the back.  The sight of the hungry utensil-carrying 7 chasing 9 down the sidewalk certainly gets your attention.  With Private I, on the back, leaning against a lamp post with these words

Why is 6 afraid of 7?

it's fairly easy for readers to draw the obvious conclusion but...is it?

The opening and closing endpapers are like an investigative case board.  Across the two pages are fourteen labeled pictures of numbers and places in the city.  The captions offer clues and commentary.  On the title page a shadowy 9 is over the door to Private I's office.  His name above an eye is AL F. BET.  

Rendered using colored pencils, watercolors and 19th-century wood type, then composed digitally using Photoshop the illustrations by Ross MacDonald enhance the overall mood, time and place of the story.  All the details point to an earlier era.  Most of the images extend across two pages focusing our attention on the characters and their highly animated features.  Can you spot the tiny character in the detective's office?

One of my many favorite illustrations is when Private I stops for a piece of pi at the Cafe Uno.  The sign reads:

TODAY'S SPECIALS
Pi---------$3.14

On a plate is a piece of pi in the shape of the symbol for pi.  The waitress B is placing a big scoop of ice cream on the plate.  The diner counter, stools and black and white checked floor are a step back in time as is the attire on B.  Private I in pink and waitress B in green contrast nicely.


The pairing of Tara Lazar and Ross MacDonald for 7 ATE 9: THE UNTOLD STORY is ideal.  Her words and his artwork work beautifully to convey a sense of mystery, mathematics, fun and detective drama of days from the past.  Read it aloud as often as you can.  Be sure to have a copy on your professional and personal bookshelves.

To discover more about Tara Lazar and Ross MacDonald and their other work please follow the links attached to their names to access informative websites.  At this additional link to a page on Tara's website you can find more about this title.  Scholastic Ambassador of School Libraries, John Schumacher, premiered the book trailer on his blog, Watch. Connect. Read.

One By One...

There are no other books quite like her books.  Each year she and her signature artwork is the subject of a much-loved author study in elementary schools.  The younger students are fascinated with her illustrative techniques.  They love the rhythm, rhyme and pacing of her text specifically written for them.  Within moments of beginning to read aloud any of her titles, you can see the listeners caught up in the cadence of the story.

In her second book released this year, we are captivated by a charming family of waterfowl.  5 Little Ducks (Beach Lane Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing Division, November 8, 2016) written and illustrated by Denise Fleming is a lively trek from the pond, through the woods and around the farm.  It's an adventure filled with beings from the animal and human worlds.

5 little ducks went out Monday.

They leave the cozy comfort of their nest on the shore of the pond, moseying through tall trees.  A green frog, rabbit, flying squirrels and doe note their passing.  Their papa utters his

"Quack, quack, quack!"

and they all don't return.  One wanders.

Only four venture out on Tuesday.  Later four minus one head toward Papa Duck heeding his call.  On Wednesday the remaining ducklings set out for sights unseen.  What's that on the little duck's back?  Who is the little duck's new friend? Oh, oh only a duo listen to their daddy.

On Thursday and Friday explorations continue and the diminishing numbers dwindle.  On Friday when Papa Duck gives his cry, there is no answer.  No little ducks wiggle and wobble home.

On the sixth day of the week two mallards have an empty nest.  To bring their youngsters back, one male duck gives three mighty quacks.  Will one, two, three, four, five wayfarers wander back?  On Sunday if you happen to be quietly walking around the pond or slowly paddling by in your tiny boat, you'll have your answer.


A children's nursery song is given new wings and waddles in the masterful hands of Denise Fleming.  The little ducks walk their way through the days of the week inviting readers and listeners to participate.  More interest is supplied in having the little ducks explore new places each day.  By the time Wednesday is reached readers can anticipate the refrain while predicting their next point of interest.

The rhyming of quack and back and the repetition of far away after each day supply a catchy cadence.  The pacing and pause when no little ducks come to the nest and Saturday will have readers unfamiliar with the rhyme wondering what will happen next.  This is a wonderful way to build anticipation.  Having Papa Duck give the shout and Mama Duck having the final say shows the parents working together.


When you run your hands over the opened dust jacket the red title text is raised.  The scene of pond reeds and sandy shore extends on the other side of the spine with the ISBN nicely nestled in a stone.  The inquisitive body postures, eyes and open bills leave no doubt that these little ducks are going to be on the move.  Even though the text is not raised on the matching book case, you will find yourself reaching out to feel the imagined texture Denise Fleming makes in her illustrations.

On the matching opening and closing endpapers the reeds are sticking up through the water.  Lily pads float in a swirl of current.  Dragonflies hover, beetles scuttle and a green frog watches.  With a page turn the five little ducks swim into view.  The text on the verso page on the left is wavy like the surface of the pond.  The color of the title text shifts to golden yellow.

All of the following images stretch, edge to edge, across two pages.  Denise Fleming always tucks Papa Duck into the picture letting readers know he is keeping an eye on his family.  You are going to enjoy seeing each inquisitive little duck imitating the creatures they meet.

Although the colors are lively with hints of blue in many of the outlines, there is also a sense of peace and security in each spot the little ducks visit.  Careful readers will notice many other animals in each image other than those specifically greeted; sheep, a horse, crows, flies, cows, kittens and their mother, butterflies, a puppy, and red squirrels.  (In fact, Fleming asks you to find them at the close of the book.)  Each character is fully animated to the point you can almost hear them quack, buzz, croak, chew, gobble, caw, moo, meow, oink, chatter, bark or giggle.  If you are very, very quiet perhaps you can listen for a rabbit hop or a butterfly to glide nearby.

One of my favorite of many illustrations is when we are very close to three of the little ducks.  Two are walking away.  A third has a petal on his back trying to be like the box turtle trudging beside him.  Along the bottom of the page is a darker, rusty red path.  Above this is a row of colorful flowers acting as a background.  Perhaps it's a garden.


It seems to me the books written and illustrated by Denise Fleming, this book, 5 Little Ducks, is each equally engaging and spirited.  Her specialized work

pulp painting---a paper-making technique using colored cotton fiber poured through hand-cut stencils

accented by

pastel pencil

is perfect for the intended audience.  These books appeal to all the senses welcoming us into the extraordinary worlds found in each title.  You will want to add this to your personal and professional collections.  I did.  On the final two pages Denise Fleming includes seven paragraphs about certain aminals along with their pictures taken from the interior.

To learn more about Denise Fleming and her body of work please follow the link attached to her name to access her website.  At her website she offers activities for this title and for her other books.  She has a page dedicated to pulp painting.  At the publisher's website you can view five interior images.  Be sure to visit author, reviewer and blogger Julie Danielson's Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast for A Peek into Denise Fleming's Studio.  This September Denise Fleming was showcased at KIDLIT 411.  There is a series of video interviews at Reading Rockets.  Enjoy the book trailer.


I previously wrote about Sleepy, oh so Sleepy, underGround and Go, Shapes, Go! all by Denise Fleming.

A Double Dose Of Cheer And Chuckles

Laughter, most importantly the laughter of children, especially when everyone is celebrating something funny together is seriously one of the best things in the world.  Guys and gals are quick to see the humor in a given situation, even those tucked in the corners of picture book images.  Once they get started, sometimes they can't stop.  And you don't want them to either.  You want to bottle it up to save for those days when laughter is elusive.

A measurement of mirth every single day is a necessity even on the good ones.  It's even more important on those days with good things in them but everything else seems to be out of control.  There is nothing like picture books as a salve to sooth your harried soul.  Author Kes Gray and illustrator Jim Field have collaborated on two titles certain to supply more than enough grins, giggles and guffaws.  The first Oi, Frog! was originally published in February, 2014 by Hodder Children's Books in the United Kingdom.  This year it came to the United States August 25, 2015 as Frog On A Log? published by Scholastic Press, an imprint of Scholastic Inc. 

HEY, FROG!
"Sit on a log!"
said the cat.

A sassy, I'm-in-charge-here, cat issues a command frog is inclined to not obey pointing out the hardness and abundance of splinters one encounters when using a log as a seat.  The fussy feline continues to insist.  When the frog enquires about sitting on the mat, the cat replies the mat is strictly for cats.  And the chair is only to be used by hares.

Moving toward a stool cat firmly mentions mules and no one else is to sit on stools.  A pattern is forming with each request from frog and each answer by cat.  Sitting on a sofa is, of course, forbidden.  Curious now, frog shifts the line of questioning.

Where might lions or parrots sit?  Neither of those places sounds appealing to frog whatsoever.  Cat is quick to mention comfort is of no importance; being proper is.  Foxes, fleas, goats, cows and storks are looking a tad bit odd when seated.

Fifteen more animals are named. With the speed of a ping-pong champion and a growing disbelief at frog's lack of knowledge, Cat assigns places for posteriors.  One final query leaves frog in a bit of a quandary.  Woof! Woof!


The second title, How Many Legs? (Hodder Children's Books, February 5, 2015), poses the question seen in the title repeatedly. You become so captivated by the guests and their companions appearing, counting, while important, is secondary to the splendid array of arrivals.  It's a participatory party and all are invited.  You simply open the book.

How many legs would there be if in this room there was only me?
How many legs would there be
If a polar bear came for tea?

A cake-carrying duck wearing hair rollers waddles into view followed by a leaping hippopotamus in a pink tutu.  A trail of colorful cookies lures in a superhero hound shadowed by a cymbal-playing chimpanzee.  Is that zooming seagull wearing a pirate hat?

As the company of companions grows, the food on the table multiples in amounts and variety.  The crunching and munching crew welcomes two more happy hoppers.  A surf and turf animal combo romp into the room.

In all shapes and sizes, tiny, medium and large, the numbers swell.  They fly, climb, creep, crawl and saunter to join the jamboree.  With the treats nearly consumed, a record spins on the turntable.  It's time to jump and jiggle, swing and sway.

WHOA!  How did he get here?  The party pauses, everyone frozen in place.  With the final fellow filling out the list (and every ounce of space), it's time to tally.  How Many Legs?


In both books Kes Gray must have been guided by a heart full of hilarity.  His combinations of rhyming couplet words are absolutely absurd never missing a beat in his cadence of comedy.  Animals and their derrieres and festive friends celebrate with every page turn.  Here are two more passages from each title.

"What do goats sit on?" asked frog.
"Goats
sit on coats,"
said the cat.
"Goats
sit on coats,
cows
sit on plows,
and storks
sit on forks."

Why would the 
number stay the same
if a slug, a snail and a 
maggot came?


Bold, bright, cheerful colors greet readers on the dust jackets and book cases of each title illustrated by Jim Field.  Turquoise, pink, shades of green, yellow, blue, brown, gray, purple, red and black illuminate the cast of characters.  In the first varying background hues highlight the animals.  In the second usually white but sometimes blue, green or yellow showcase the animal antics and their legs.

The opening and closing endpapers for Frog On A Log? in blue, green, and a little white and black set the stage for nonstop hoots and hollers.  This frog is show in numerous positions, all filled with fun.  He touches his elongated toes doing sit-ups, struts, stretches, dozes and drifts in water and gobbles up a fly. You get to supply the sounds and narrative which is easy to do with Jim Field's images.

The body postures and facial expression on each of the animals will have you hardly able to contain merriment.  The clothing and extra items worn by each of them increases the silliness.  The attention to detail will have you relishing every pause.  Hare is reading a newspaper titled HARE TODAY.  One of the headlines refers to winning.  At one point cat is informing frog chalk in hand with drawings on a page of black.  A fox holds a magnifying glass so readers can see a flea on a pea.

One of my favorite illustrations is of a bicycle being ridden by a wizard with lizards on his hat.  His entire attire is purple with tiny stars as a pattern.  He is playing a flute on which sits a newt.  His glove is the resting place of a pair of .......... and there is a seal on the .............  Frog is hanging from his long flowing beard.

The opening and closing endpapers for How Many Legs? are done in two shades of golden yellow.  It's a design in rows of the bottom portion of legs.  A page turn shows a single party hat on white.  Jim Field begins the story on the title page and verso with a double-page picture showing the boy opening the door into the room decorated for the event.

As the narrative starts he takes us close to the shoes and bottom of the boy's legs.  In the following illustrations, most two-page pictures with a few single page images, our perspective is wider.  As the guests arrive the expressions on each of the others' faces are downright hilarious.  When the hippo springs into view, the scarf-wearing polar bear spits out his tea, the curler-wearing duck gasps and drops her plate of cake and the boy shouts with arms flung open. You should see the group gathered and giggling behind the door watching the sniffing dog wearing a superhero cape and underwear arrive.

One of my favorite visuals is when the seagull comes diving into the room.  The polar bear, duck, boy, hippo and chimpanzee are all watching him.  The dog, on the other hand, is totally focused on the food.  His big nose is resting on the table top looking for his next bite of sweet treat.


Frog On A Log? and How Many Legs? written by Kes Gray with illustrations by Jim Field are filled with loads of fun.  You clearly can't read them once and you truly can't read them alone.  You have to read them aloud.  Your dog and the children in your world will be glad you did.

To discover more about Kes Gray and Jim Field please follow the links attached to their names to access their websites.  Jim Field gives readers a great overview of his process for both books.  More illustrations are on his Tumblr page for How Many Legs?  This links to a single activity sheet for How Many Legs?

Numbering The Clever

Hardly a day goes by without seeing a group of small birds chasing, diving and madly chirping at a crow.  While they may be a pest in the avian world with less than desirable eating habits, they are known for their intelligent adaptability.  After my parents retired (or probably before but I did not notice) they were daily entertained by a group of crows who congregated in their backyard.  They placed a large basin of water on a backless bench so their feathered friends could drink and jump in to cool themselves.  It was like watching a comedy routine.  I wouldn't be a bit surprised to discover they named some of the repeat performers.

Counting Crows (Atheneum Books for Young Readers, March 3, 2015) written by Kathi Appelt with illustrations by Rob Dunlavey is a concept book with a surprise as cunning as the cawing characters.  Due to their residency in nearly every corner of the world, readers will feel connected to and will easily identify with the featured flock.  There's merriment in the wind.

One,
two,
three
crows in a tree.

As you can plainly see by the dust jacket these are no common crows; these birds fly with finesse and a sense of style.  One of them even has a stylish polka-dot scarf.  From the tree the trio spots insects and mangoes three.  They each enjoy the delectable discovery.

There's a nest in the branches made

of straws and sticks

a perfect resting place for more plumed pals now up to six.  These creative connoisseurs locate peanuts and plums; precisely plentiful for the eager sextet.  Flying from their tree to the lines stretched between poles, their number grows to a nifty nine.  Still needing another snack they scavenge creeping crawlies and crispy crackers.

As the three groups of three, in a tree, on a nest and sitting on a line, digest these delicacies, the chatter begins.  Another voice joins the chorus.  Now there are three, six, nine and ten.  These lucky birds find ten more treats times two.

Guard your gardens, these avian adventurers are on the prowl.  Goodies are gathered for eleven.  Away they travel together to a previously peaceful park.  How many are there?  Twelve crooners in a row collect leisurely escargot and crunchy chips.  Someone else is quietly counting.  A watcher warns the counted crows.  Beating wings herald a new fashion statement.


Most times when hearing one, two in quick succession, your mind will leap to buckle my shoe.  Decades later the age old rhyme learned as a child is firmly planted in your memory.  For a new audience Kathi Appelt puts her own masterful spin on counting by grouping the numbers by three, having the crows feast on their found food and turning it into a story.

She places the trios in easily remembered places but playfully continues by mentioning roly-poly bugs, mangoes, peanuts and peas.  Each food is introduced with a descriptive adjective; salty peanuts, spicy ants and crunchy crickets.  After the second meal is mentioned she concludes the rhyme with a fun exclamation.  Here is a sample passage.

...nine round crackers.
Nine for the counting crows.
Nine, by smackers!


The limited color palette of black, white, gray and red on the matching dust jacket and book case demands you stop and look at this book.  Well, that and the collection of six humorous striped sweater-garbed crows sitting, hanging, talking, peering and peeking from the branches of a tree extending across the opened jacket and case will definitely do the trick.  To the left, on the back, the rhyme for six of the group is an open invitation.  A more rusty shade of the red covers both the opening and closing endpapers.  The threesome from the front are busy on the title page while two others sit on the verso and two more fly from the dedications on their special page.

Rendered in pencil and digital color the illustrations of Rob Dunlavey capture the essence of crow.  Their long black bills, large eyes (How can a dot show so much emotion?) and spindly legs are hilarious.  During the rhyme readers are treated to a double-page image.  As they seek a particular cuisine, the pictures are smaller, grouped together over two pages, showing the crows engaged in a variety of activities; counting on their feathers, head inside a bag, stacking crackers or opening a garden gate.

When we give attention to these drawings the little details offer us laughter and hints. The unfortunate ants are seeking the crackers too, even assisting in the stacking.  I wonder how much longer the crow will read the newspaper on the park bench.  One observant crow's eye directs careful readers to a shift in the story.

One of my several favorite illustrations is when ten crows find the crickets and peppers.  On the left five of them are eyeing the doomed crickets.  One cricket is perched on the bent form of a crow.  A sixth crow lounging on its back, beak open, has thrown a cricket into the air, soon to be a snack.  To the right two crows are trying to carry peppers which have tumbled from a basket.  Crickets are crawling on some of them.  Another crow is balancing a pepper on its beak.  The final crow looks curiously at a cricket on its hand.  Friend or food?


Read Counting Crows written by Kathi Appelt with illustrations by Rob Dunlavey aloud or sing it as a song.  Whatever you do, do it often.  The language used by Appelt welcomes participation and the artwork of Dunlavey generates giggles and grins.  Your listeners (and readers) will be unable to sit still once the rhythmic rhymes begin.

Please take a moment to visit the websites of Kathi Appelt and Rob Dunlavey by following the links attached to their names.  This title was featured at Jama's Alphabet Soup with a review and a recipe.  Here's a link to several pages of activities. Enjoy the book trailer.

It All Started With...

There is no need to say it aloud.  You can begin with a whisper.  It's like an "on" switch for laughter with kids.  You know the word I mean.  Underwear.

If that word appears in a book title, it's like a homing device, a true attention getter.  Without a doubt One Big Pair Of Underwear (Beach Lane Books, September 9, 2014), words written by Laura Gehl, pictures made by Tom Lichtenheld, will attract guys and gals like honey does bees.  Once they start reading it, they are in for an even bigger treat.

ONE big pair of underwear.
TWO brown bears who hate to share.
ONE bear wears the underwear.

Already something is not quite right.  Someone has one, the other has none.  With a page turn and a glance to the right, two sacks of salty snacks get noticed by three young yaks who are wearing black backpacks.

Guess what?  We now have one very unhappy snackless yak.  The pattern continues with stealing seals, greedy goats, and napping cats.  Each time one member of the group, whose numbers continue to grow by one, is left wanting what they others have.

There aren't enough cookbooks, jet skis, sticks or trombones.  A hippo is harrumphing, a cow is crying, a duck is downcast and a baboon is baffled.  Clearly these critters are missing a key component, a valuable life lesson.

As if it isn't bad enough already,

TEN tall, twisty playground slides

come into view.  Twenty, not ten, pigs want to glide down those slides.  I don't think this is going to end well because pigs are...well...pigs.

Readers are in for a jolly jolt as those pigs show how dividing is done.  Two bears, one wearing underwear, take note.  Strike up the band!  It's a parade of possibilities.


Laura Gehl's love of words is evident in her debut picture book.  Alliteration and rhyme mix and match on each and every page.  Adjective descriptors introduce things, animals and actions as the final word in each phrase creates a rhythm within the foursome.  Here is a complete group.

THREE fast scooters, painted teal.
FOUR ball-bouncing silver seals.
THREE seals steal a set of wheels.
ONE seal gets a real bad deal.  


Look at those wide-eyed bears with mischievous looks on their faces as they stand in a giant pair of briefs, one body protruding through each leg hole.  How can you not laugh?  On the back of this matching dust jacket and book case, the duo stands looking off to the left.  The one without any underwear holds a spyglass.  The text sums up this book nicely.

Hey, look! Here's a counting book that everyone can share!

The underwear hilarity continues on the opening and closing endpapers.  Shades of blue and silhouettes of the twosome show them first, boating over the waves in the daylight with the underwear billowing sideways as a sail and then, second, beneath a starry sky toasting marshmallows over an open fire.  Their tent...the underwear upside down.

Rendered in pencil, with digital color and assistance from Kristen Cella, Tom Lichtenheld begins the interior with a double-page spread of the huge underwear stretched across the gutter hanging from a clothesline, each of the bears peeking from behind a single tree.  The title spans nearly edge to edge above the line.  This, like all the subsequent illustrations, is lively and in full color.

For most of the book, Lichtenheld relies on a pristine white background to accentuate his detailed picture portrayals.  Three smaller visuals will be on one page with a single illustration following, showing a disappointed creature.  When everyone finally begins to see the benefit of sharing, the blue sky from the title page gradually fills in the white.

Lichtenheld's sense of humor and gift for capturing emotion are most noticeable on the single pages.  His picture of the seal on a tricycle while the others blast away on scooters or the baboon holding a triangle as the others toot on their trombones is hilarious.  He certainly knows how to please his audience.


One Big Pair Of Underwear words by Laura Gehl and pictures made by Tom Lichtenheld is a rollicking romp in rhyme.  Readers will count their way to a lighthearted lesson in sharing.  I think there is sure to be some clapping and toe-tapping along with a request to read it again.  You might want to have one big pair of underwear handy to heighten the fun.

If you wish to learn more about Laura Gehl or Tom Lichtenheld please follow the links embedded in their names to take you to their websites.  Each has extras you will want to use with your students or children.  This link to the publisher's website shows even more pages from the book.

S'more bears. The back endpapers from #OneBigPairOfUnderwear from @SimonKIDS (guess what constellation is overhead) pic.twitter.com/WIILY0zGY3
— Tom Lichtenheld (@tlichtenheld) September 11, 2014

There's No AcCounting For My Love Of Picture Books---Picture Book 10 for 10

I am so excited to be participating with many others in this annual tribute to picture books.  It's an opportunity for book people to showcase those titles they simply love.  These are picture books they highly recommend for use in classrooms and sharing with other readers of all ages.

10 for 10 Picture Books is hosted by Cathy Mere, educator and blogger at Reflect & Refine: Building a Learning Community and Mandy Robek, educator and blogger at Enjoy and Embrace Learning.  All of the lists are collected in a single spot to be used as a continual resource.  Here is the link for all the participants last year. In 2012 I listed ten plus two top alphabet books.  It's not that I'm necessarily a rule breaker but this is very hard.  For 2013 I could only narrow it down to fifteen so Xena picked her top ten dog books out of those.

This year I decided again to focus on titles which might be considered strictly for younger students.  All of them can used to spread the joy of numbers and counting.  Sharing these books with them is pure fun.  I think laughter and learning are a pretty good combination.  Each of them also offers opportunities for older students to draw, search for images and write; making their own versions.

Here are my top ten...eleven...books on counting and numbers.  If a link is embedded in the title, it takes you to my complete review of the book.


1.  1-2-3 Peas (Beach Lane Books, 2012) Keith Baker

One cannot help but smile when looking at the cover of 1-2-3 Peas; a smile guaranteed to last well after the last page is turned.  Never has a counting book been quite as much fun as when written and illustrated by Keith Baker with the assistance of his personable peas.  Clever readers will be searching the pages for the consistent appearance of a special visitor.








2.  Count The Monkeys (Disney Hyperion Books, 2013) Mac Barnett, author, Kevin Cornell, illustrator

When we are asked by a friend to put the silverware on the table, we expect to see forks, spoons and knives in the drawer, not screwdrivers, wrenches and hammers.  I'm here to tell you, readers, when you open the cover of Count the Monkeys (Disney Hyperion Books) by Mac Barnett with illustrations by Kevin Cornell, you can take any expectations you might have and throw them out the window.   You are lured into the pages of this book expecting to count...well...monkeys.




3.  123 versus ABC (Harper, 2013) Mike Boldt

Beginning with my youngest patrons' first visit, through song, dance and hand motions, I introduce letters and numbers explaining, one will help them find fiction (even if organized by genre), the other will give them direction in locating nonfiction materials.  I tell them repeatedly year after year, if they know their letters and can count, they will be able to locate the correct book in any library.  The two systems, alphabetical and numerical, work together to create addresses for every item in the library.  Their school library is a lively practice field for using the public library, moving them toward independence.
In this respect numbers and letters or letters and numbers have equal importance.  But in that wonderful world of "What-If", what happens when letters and numbers arrive at the same place at the same time believing themselves to be the guest of honor?

4.  Musk Ox Counts (A Neal Porter Book, Roaring Brook Press, 2013) Erin Cabatingan, author, Matthew Myers, illustrator

Five-year-old children are not the only ones who get a kick out of knowing numbers.  The dubious duo who made their first appearance in A Is For Musk Ox have returned.  Mr. Que Sera Sera is still driving his striped companion crazy with his inability to follow the plan.

5.  Flight 1-2-3 (Chronicle Books, 2013) Maria van Lieshout

Flight 1-2-3 captures the same magic in the exploring of an airport, the deciphering of the signage, counting what can be seen and traveling by plane.  It is a companion to her Backseat A-B-See (Chronicle Books, April 11, 2012).

6.  Ten Little Caterpillars (Beach Lane Books, 2011) Bill Martin Jr, author, Lois Ehlert, illustrator

With every other line rhyming Martin created counting verses with a catchy cadence.  Readers follow each of these ten caterpillars into their habitats of flowers, fruits, vegetables, a pool, weeds and even the sea matched by close encounters with fowl, fish and feathered friends of the backyard, woods and field.  They are never idle, always in motion; crawling, wriggling, climbing, falling or scaling.  When the number ten is reached that little caterpillar hangs in stillness awaiting the change the spring will bring---miraculous metamorphosis.

7.  One Two That's My Shoe! (Disney Hyperion, 2011)

I love it when my mind's eye sees something while my conscience eyes are focused on something else entirely.  While looking ahead at a special section in the public library this past week, what should register on my radar but the  Alison Murray book, One Two That's My Shoe!(Disney-Hyperion Books)  I was as pleased as could be to see the rascally familiar black and white pooch on the cover in all his lovable glory.

As in the first book, Apple Pie ABC, Georgie and his human, Grace, are characters in the retelling of an old nursery rhyme.  Alison Murray's version of "One, Two, Buckle My Shoe" is a series of classic "catch-me-if-you-can" snapshots.  This youthful chant has never been better than when altered by the clever words and artwork of Murray.

8. 1 to 20, Animals Aplenty (POW) Katie Viggers

This rhyming counting book will have readers singing along before they (or you) know what is happening.
1 fox in a pair of socks
2 gorillas looking in mirrors
3 llamas wearing pajamas
At times one page ties in with another creating a delightful continuity.  The illustrations are simply charming.  At the end a one through ten pyramid with a corresponding eleven through twenty pyramid provide tiny thumbnails of the previous pictures.  The closing endpapers feature a world map with the animals placed in their habitats.  When differentiation is needed the kinds of animals are labeled.

9.  Bugs by the Numbers (Blue Apple Books, 2011) Sharon Werner and Sarah Forss

Readers are surrounded by numbers at every turn of the page. Squiggling lines attached to numbers decorate the front and back endpapers.  Upon closer inspection the lines are facts about the bug featured with that number.   What this typographical wizard duo has done is to combine research with art.  Rarely has a more captivating technique been employed to make learning so appealing. (Do a Google image search for the title to get peeks inside the book.  It is amazing,)

10.  Baby Bear Counts One (Beach Lane Books, 2013) Ashley Wolff

As humans we get to not only share in the explorations of our own young but also in those of the animal world.  If we could comprehend how it might be for them, Baby Bear Counts One is an appealing example.  This companion to the gorgeous Baby Bear Sees Blue is as warm and engaging further bonding us to the lovable cub and his mother.  Sounds leads to enumerating elements in this bear cub's world. 

11.  Dog Loves Counting (Alfred A. Knopf) Louise Yates

We know from his two previous titles, Dog Loves Books (Alfred A. Knopf, 2010) and Dog Loves Drawing (Alfred A. Knopf, 2012), our small, white, perky canine pal is usually able to accomplish whatever his heart desires.  You have to love the way Dog approaches everything in his life; how books are central to each and every adventure.  Dog Loves Counting pursues Dog's yearning for sleep by bringing numbers and animals together in an enlightening escapade.  Wouldn't it be fun to find other animals and the numbers they might represent?




I know I can count on all of you to take time for reading. Enjoy!

Mathematical Cure

We all have those nights when sleep alludes us despite our heartfelt endeavors to drift off to dreamland.  When soaking in a hot bath, warm milk with a touch of honey, relaxing music or reading a favorite or current book does not entice the sandman to visit, there is only one thing left to do.  As a last resort counting sheep, as one by one a seemingly endless line leaps over a fence, may cure your insomnia.

We know from his two previous titles, Dog Loves Books (Alfred A. Knopf, 2010) and Dog Loves Drawing (Alfred A. Knopf, 2012), our small, white, perky canine pal is usually able to accomplish whatever his heart desires.  In his newest undertaking, Dog Loves Counting (Alfred A. Knopf), written and illustrated by Louise Yates, Dog knows the proper amount of rest is important.  For whatever reason, on this particular night, this bookworm extraordinaire can't fall asleep.

Dog loved books.  He loved reading
them late into the night and didn't like
to leave them for long.

Needing to sleep Dog tries counting sheep.  When this technique fails, he wonders if counting some other animal might be the solution.  Looking through the books surrounding him on his bed, he begins with a very special title.

What he sees first is one egg.  After cracking open, a dodo is standing next to Dog.  Now there are two.  They go off to discover another creature.

When the sloth waves, Dog notices his three claws.  This number game is going very well.  The three explore further to find a fourth.

A camel from the desert, a lizard under a log, and an insect snagged from the air have the growing group up to the number six.  Number nine is reached with help from a nighttime marauder, an arachnid, and a sleepy armored mammal.  A sandy shoreline yields their final friend, the number ten.  Dog is having so much fun, he is disappointed when they reach the camel's home; no animals are visible.

Not to be discouraged, Dog suggests they begin counting from the beginning.  To their surprise number one has disappeared.  Whether counting backward or counting by hundreds, Dog and company realize, like the grains of sand beneath their feet, numbering some things could go on forever.


Louise Yates' writing style in her storytelling is light, uplifting.  Her combination of narrative, thoughts and dialogue are utterly charming.  Though simple in structure, each sentence conveys intent, curiosity, the desire for companionship and to help Dog fall asleep.  Dog's compassion and kindness are reflected in each of the animals he meets. Here is a single example.

Inside was a baby dodo.
"Hello, little one," said Dog.
He looked around, but
the dodo was
all alone.
"I'll look after you," said Dog. "Together
we are two.  Number One, follow me---
we must find Number Three."



I don't know about you but the matching jacket and cover of this title make me smile...a big smile.  Even if you are not acquainted with Dog from reading the two previous books, this illustration, filled with happy animation in the body language and facial expressions, introduces characters you will be glad to meet.  To reinforce the title by having them carry the bright blue numbers is brilliant.

The same blue is used to color the opening and closing endpapers.  A lighter shade depicts a starry-patterned night.  The first set of endpapers shows connections between the stars forming numbers; the end set also shows connections but of the animals who participate in the story.  As I have noted before Yates uses every part of her books to tell her tale.

Louise Yates luminous watercolor illustrations may extend across two pages or even for most of a single page with loose flowing edges but for the most part white space serves to focus on the individual elements in each picture.  As the animals are presented to readers their number and name are written near them, like in a naturalist's sketchbook.  Yates enhances the text further with random acts of kindness and humor; Dog carries the sloth due to his slowness, the skink spits the fly back out of his mouth to count its legs, and the spider spins a web between the armadillo's ears.  Dog sitting on his bed, holding a flashlight with an open book laying on his legs, surrounded by piles of books, is one of my favorite illustrations.


You have to love the way Dog approaches everything in his life; how books are central to each and every adventure.  Dog Loves Counting written and illustrated by Louise Yates pursues Dog's yearning for sleep by bringing numbers and animals together in an enlightening escapade.  Wouldn't it be fun to find other animals and the numbers they might represent?

With each Dog book I love this little guy and his friends even more.  Where will he go?  What will he do next?  I can hardly wait.

I invite you to visit Louise Yates' website by following the link embedded in her name.  Dog Loves Counting is on the CILIP Kate Greenaway Medal 2014 nominations list.