by Nancy Raines Day; illus. by Kurt Cyrus
32 pages; ages 4-8
Beach Lane Books (Simon & Schuster), 2015
What in the world comes one by one?
A nose.
A mouth.
The moon.
The sun.
So begins this innovative counting book. From one to ten, in rhyming couplets, Nancy Day explores sets of things in nature: legs, arms, flowers. I love how she uses three parts of a bee's body (head, thorax, abdomen) to invite readers to look more closely at insects. There's another reference to insect legs (6) but when she gets to 8 it's not spider legs she's counting, but octopus limbs.
The language is soft, lyrical. The illustrations are warm, full of details that pull you into the scene. And on every page: What in the world comes grouped in ____? Until the end, when Day asks, "What comes in sets too big to count?"
This is a perfect book for engaging children in counting and observing the natural world around them. Why not head out on a counting walk? How many legs on a bird? How many wings? Where can you find five of something in the natural surroundings of your neighborhood?
I read this recently and wasn't as taken with it as you. I think I expected more from it. There are some lovely things about it though.
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