How to Two

January 15, 2019
From the co-creator and illustrator of the Ladybug Girl books comes a joyful exploration of a day at the playground, where a young child finds new playmates and shares new activities in almost every spread until one has become 10 and it's clear that all are welcome to play. Sparse text--the words "How to" followed by a number with occasional changes in punctuation--and subtle illustrated details offer multiple opportunities for readers to practice counting from one to 10 on each spread: The back endpapers explicitly ask readers to "find the critters," while the spine depicts 10 running silhouettes, and the book's jacket back depicts child hands of many shades indicating numbers. The text's pacing and layout at times feel a bit forced when it extends the patterned "how to..." lines across more than one double-page spread, but overall the pacing is balanced, especially in the gorgeous wordless full-bleed spread that depicts all 10 children playing after the rainstorm before parting ways. Perhaps most valuable, however, are Soman's thoughtful, diverse depictions of the children and families (an interracial two-dad family; several solo older caregivers; an older sibling; a brown-skinned woman in a headscarf) through a range of skin and hair color, clothing, and gender presentations. Meanwhile, the young child and their mother, whose story grounds the book, appear to be white. No two ways about it--this one is a delight. (Picture book. 3-8)

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April 1, 2019

PreS-Gr 1-Soman provides a look at how children spend a day at the playground. He starts with one young boy who is having a wonderful time flying down the slide by himself. The simple text describes this image as "How to one." As the story develops, each page shows an increase in the number of children interacting together and the text remains simple: "How to two.... How to three" and so on until 10. The illustrations portray children of differing genders, skin color, hair color, and clothing type. As the numbers grow, the activities begin to change. While a seesaw is great for two, digging in the sand is much more suitable for five. The illustrations keep the story moving and allow for readers to have conversations about what is going on. After the book reaches 10, the original protagonist heads home alone and it begins again. This time, "How to two" depicts the boy and his mother or caregiver reading a story together. VERDICT Recommended for general purchase for most picture book collections. While many will see this as a counting book, it is also a delightful tribute to the sheer joy and innocence of childhood.-Kristen Todd-Wurm, Middle Country Public Library, NY

Copyright 2019 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

February 1, 2019
Preschool-K This counting book, which celebrates the joy and energy of childhood, opens dynamically, with the first pages showing one child flying off a slide and right into the next page. With the page turn emphasized, one child becomes two, playing on a slide. And so the pattern begins, as the two become three jumping rope and four playing ball, until there are 10 children actively engaged. The colorful illustrations, mostly two-page spreads, celebrate activities children of all backgrounds love, including splashing in puddles and playing hide-and-seek. There are some shadows of friends waiting to be included, and many pages have animals that readers are asked later to "discover." The rhythm of the story changes with the final activity, which is pictured in multiple smaller images; one goes to the library and chooses a book before becoming two in mother's lap. Children will easily see themselves in the many activities presented?and hopefully remember to count as well.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)