A counting and number recognition book for the very young. This simple book follows the familiar pattern of many books which introduce young children to numbers and counting. As you work through the book numbers are introduced in their sequence with each number illustrated by an object or noun, for example, apples, sheep etc. Each double-spread is focused on a different number; the first page introduces the numeral (4), the words to explain the illustration (four ducks) and the illustration itself (four ducks in a row). The facing page then shows the noun within a context (in this case, four ducks swimming on a pond). On this second page the objects are in a ‘higgeldy-piggeldy’ orientation, which provides an opportunity for the child to test their number skills. Hence the book’s structure is scaffolded to support the learner, as the child can count the objects in a linear orientation and then in a more random representation.

Pienkowski’s illustrations are bold and bright and may attract young readers who have met his fictional tales. As you might expect the illustrations also contain other objects which can be counted. There are also more open aspects to the text – for example, the final page asking the question, how many? In addition, the frontispiece and endpapers depict an old-fashioned abacus or beadstring, which demonstrate number bonds to ten. These again are in different orientations, to demonstrate, if you flick from front to back, that 1+9 is equivalent to 9+1. So there is plenty of potential for developing mathematical concepts through this book.

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2008-09-28