Fish, swish! splash, dash! Counting round and round

PreS-Gr 2-Vivid hues, clean visual elements, and simple language combine to create a successful and eye-catching concept book. The rhyming text begins: "Follow the leader/and count with me/the fish that live/beneath the sea-." Sturdy pages with see-through die-cuts depict an increasing number of colorful aquatic species on each successive spread. When youngsters reach the book's end ("here come 10-"), they are invited to "Follow the leader and do it again!" (the phrase is printed across the page bottom and curves up the right-hand margin, making it natural for readers to rotate the book and hold it upside down). The same pictures in reverse order count down from "Ten fish" to "One fish left," where the volume can be turned once more to start all over again. MacDonald's "round and round" design works well, especially since the underwater illustrations can be viewed from either direction. The layouts are varied, with an appealing mix of shapes and colors. A fun book for beginning counters that will be enjoyed again and again.-Joy Fleishhacker, School Library Journal (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

The clever construction of this counting book guarantees a repeat audience: After counting up to ten, readers turn the book upside down and count back down to one, where they can begin yet again. The rhyming text is spare, keeping the focus on the counting (both numerals and word names are used), but invigorating enough to mimic the splashy action of the fish. The real draw for children, though, will be the illustrations. Ingenious fish-shaped cutouts in each page overlap to create uniquely colored and patterned fish. So unique in fact that reversing the stack to read it again results in completely different fish. Eyes and stripes are disguised within pages as bubbles and seaweed, and the brilliant colors will hold the attention of even those youngest readers who cannot yet count. Thick cardboard pages ensure that this will withstand a lot of use, thereby making it a good choice for libraries looking to expand their counting-book collection. (Picture book. 2-5) Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.