Counting Bees 1-2-3

February 1, 2012

PreS-There are numerous missed opportunities in this simplistic series. On each spread, a computer-generated illustration of the respective number of creatures crawling on an object faces the number and the name of the creature, such as "One butterfly," with the numeral over that. Curiously, the book that features ladybugs has them crawling on an ice-cream cone, but the others are pictured on an item the insect is known to visit, such as a flower or a hive. The inclusion of an index and table of contents seems rather silly; why would anyone need page numbers for the numbers? Children who could understand the purpose of these features would be well beyond the scope of these books. There are so many counting books that offer a lot more opportunities for discussion and learning than these titles.-Maggie Chase, Boise State University, ID

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