Musk Ox Counts

Starred review from July 15, 2013
The banter between a persnickety zebra and a go-with-the-flow musk ox that made A Is for Musk Ox so much fun gets the job done in this counting-themed sequel, too. Musk ox refuses to stay put, instead joining two yaks for a game of Twister and frightening four birds, who cause trouble of their own. “Remember the birds I scared away?” the musk asks the zebra on the “six” page. “Well, I think they’ve taken care of the snails.” Cabatingan and Myers are entirely in sync as they deliver verbal and visual jokes on every page. Ages 5–7. Author’s agent: Nancy Gallt, Nancy Gallt Literary Agency. Illustrator’s agent: Steven Malk, Writers House.

August 1, 2013
More crazy hijinks from the irrepressible musk ox and his sidekick control-freak zebra will engender belly laughs in Cabatingan and Myers' highly original sequel to the wild and wacky alphabet book A Is for Musk Ox (2012). Zebra's efforts to establish traditional counting-book order are foiled right from the first page as the musk ox is seen disappearing from his prescribed position as "1 musk ox." Things only gets more zany on 2, where he is pictured consorting with two fetching female yaks, thereby ruining the concept of 2 by inserting himself as a third animal. By 4, he is again hijacking poor zebra's concept, scaring away the 4 birds and replacing them with the less-attractive 4 stomachs ("just like cows"). More ridiculous scenarios bedevil the animals' futile attempt to complete the counting series. Six snails have been eaten by the four birds that the musk ox scared away; 10 dogs run away, leaving zebra and musk ox using their eight legs plus two heads to make up the number. This approach is deliberately challenging and will only work for children who are already completely comfortable with counting; those who are not will likely find this terminally confusing. Those kids ready to wrap their heads around musk ox's anarchic approach, though, will likely find their (singular) stomachs sore from laughing. (Picture book. 5-8)

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July 1, 2013

K-Gr 4-In a genuinely funny companion to A Is for Musk Ox (Roaring Brook, 2012), zebra and musk ox are arguing about how to compose a counting, er, "addition" book. Although the first spread reads "1 musk ox," the beast is nowhere to be seen; his shadow appears on the second spread, along with a worried zebra. It turns out that one is a lonely number, and musk ox would rather be partying with the two (gorgeous) yaks. Displaying his penchant for creative problem solving, the fast talker shows his frustrated coauthor that the "2 yaks" page could still work if the creatures become part of an equation that includes 1 musk ox. He continues to defend his position while reclining on a shag rug, (bubble) pipe in grinning mouth: "Did you see those lovely ladies? They'd be lonely without me." So it goes, with a delightfully unpredictable plot, inventiveness vs. anal-retentiveness, and tricks that will appeal to juvenile and adult sensibilities. Cabatingan's witty repartee leaves plenty of room for Myers to interpret and enhance the narrative with his own ideas, making this a book in which children will continue to discover surprises during subsequent readings. The artist's oil compositions contrast rich texture in the figures and foregrounds with a more delicate blending of colors in the backgrounds; the result is a pleasing visual experience and a wonderful marriage of numeracy and aesthetics. Will this duo return to wreak havoc with colors, shapes, opposites? One can only hope.-Wendy Lukehart, District of Columbia Public Library

Copyright 2013 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

October 15, 2013
Grades K-2 In A Is for Musk Ox (2012), Zebra tries (unsuccessfully, but hilariously) to assign Musk Ox to the M page of the alphabet book. Now putting together a counting book, Zebra knows enough to give his costar top billing as 1 musk ox, but the contrary creature steps out of line again. Not only is he AWOL from his own page ( My page is lonely ), he creates chaos on every other page, stealing the show and rewriting the book all while bickering with Zebra. Those seeking a conventional counting book should look elsewhere, but kids who are bored with predictable fare will find plenty to amuse them here, from the main characters' banter to the absurd logic of Musk Ox's arithmetic, in which 8 snakes + 1 musk ox + 1 whiny zebra = 8 legs. The clever text is playfully illustrated in a varied series of scenes featuring well-realized, comical characters. A witty addition to the Musk Ox series.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2013, American Library Association.)