What in the World?

July 13, 2015
In this calm counting book, Day (A Is for Alliguitar) numbers elements in nature: “What in the world comes one by one?/ A nose. A mouth. The moon. The sun.” Day’s rhyming text follows this formula from one to 10, detailing things that come “two by two” (birds’ wings) and “in threes” (clover leaves and bees’ segmented bodies). For “eight by eight,” Day names “Octopus limbs that undulate,” and in case anyone thinks first of spiders’ legs, an author’s note suggests each reader “look for a numerical set in the world around you.” (Nine is a tough one, and the nine-spined stickleback fish fills the bill.) Cyrus (The Voyage of Turtle Rex) pictures earth, water, and sky in serigraph-style digital art with limpid backdrops that resemble watercolor wash. His imagery—including a spread of a child dipping his toes in a tide pool where sea stars congregate—evokes pristine places in nature, even if his method gives the settings and creatures a curiously plasticky smoothness. Pleasant and diverting, this numerical list may well encourage readers to notice patterns in natural phenomena. Ages 4–8.

July 15, 2015
This more-than-a-counting-book introduces things recognizable in numbered sets. The compact, rhyming narrative rhetorically asks readers to think about numbers in the world, beginning and ending with eyes on the sky: "What in the world comes one by one? / A nose. A mouth. The moon. / The sun." Young listeners who comprehend the world through the ways it can be measured will find this gripping and consoling. For little ones who like to enumerate their world, here's an affirmation that much of it can be counted, appreciated for its finitude, and observed in its varied, living parts. The counting goes up through 10, looking at birds, insects, sea creatures, and deer in the seaside forest. "Three" invites discussion about the parts of bees-their bodies comprise head, thorax, and abdomen, but they also have wings and antennae. The word-sets-that has been implied all along appears near the end: "And what comes in sets too big to count?" Here, on the last two double-page spreads, a starry sky bears the faint outlines of each numbered thing that has come before-our human eyes impose order on the nearly limitless stars. Cyrus' digitally rendered art uses solid dark outlines for objects and clear, rich tones for a feeling of spaciousness and peace.Textured, visually rich, and gracefully simple, this is a fine blend of informative poetry and illustration. (Picture book. 2-6)

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June 1, 2015

PreS-K-Day's simple rhyming text encourages children to count natural phenomena. From one moon and sun to stars in "sets too big to count," her examples give viewers opportunities to hone their skills. The large format encourages group participation. For the most part, the items to be counted are easily identified. Five arms on five sea stars and eight undulating octopus limbs are exceptionally clear. The seven colors of the rainbow shading from one to another will be harder to distinguish, and the child's crossed arms hide one finger. Yet, Cyrus's thoughtfully composed illustrations will reward repeated viewings, because featured objects recur in several places. For example, the three bees hovering in the lower corner of the spread featuring two bluebirds appear prominently when the page is turned. Sharp-eyed viewers will be rewarded by such discoveries, including the appearance of many plants and animals traced in the night sky among the stars. VERDICT This book can serve as a group introduction to encourage students to spot sets in the natural world and inspire one-on-one or independent viewers to spot the interconnections in the illustrations.-Kathy Piehl, Minnesota State University Library, Mankato

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