Synopsis: This counting book takes readers in English and French from one crow (un corbeau) through to ten frogs (dix grenouilles), then adds an extra bonus of twenty sparrows (vinigt moineaux) and a hundred wasps (cent guêpes).

Review: This lovely volume of Quentin Blake's lively animal paintings works well as a bilingual counting book. This particular edition sits beautifully on the shelf with its distinctive Blake hand-lettered cover, cut-out frog shape and gorgeous cloth spine in Tate-Modern green. (One can imagine this will sell particularly well in those designer French toy and clothing shops that cater to yummy mummies.)

 In keeping with the simple, straightforward nature of the counting book, the pages look clean and uncluttered, with Blake's characteristic loose brushwork and large white spaces. Even though the animals are painted without background settings, the colours and brushwork manage to convey a sun-bleached French countryside look. The hundred wasps at the end are particularly fun to count as they hover around a jam jar painted in the most delectable shade of hot pink, a tasty treat for the finish.

For reading aloud to a child, Blake assumes the reader can pronounce the words in both English and French; if this wasn't the case, a child could look at the words silently on her own and relate them to the pictures.

2008-06-29