10 dogs

Readers can expect much more than just a counting book in Gravett's (10 Cats, rev. 5/23) latest: it's also a delightful mathematical puzzler for preschoolers. In the opening spread (one of only two moments of peace), ten sausages sit on a table, and ten dogs, licking their lips, stand around it. The book does, indeed, count down; with the exception of the first spread, the recto of each goes from nine dogs to one (with the finale hinting at zero). But how readers get to zero is where the engaging adventure with math comes into play. For instance, on the second spread, in which chaos immediately ensues, one dog grabs all the sausages, leaving "9 dogs with none." Next, "2 dogs each with half of them, 8 dogs wanting some." And so it goes, Gravett prompting viewers to look carefully at her detailed illustrations to see the deductions in action. Her fine-lined, brightly colored images of ten distinctive canines convey much humor as the pups try to snatch sausages and keep the others away; in the "3" spread, for example, "7 dogs hide sausages" and "3 dogs hunt around." Expect big laughs from preschoolers, particularly those who are dog fans. The dogs topple furniture and put the chairs and the polka-dotted tablecloth to creative use -- but, in the end, decide to share. A doggone good adventure. Julie DanielsonNovember/December 2023 p.58 (c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

It's not hard to guess what will happen to unattended sausages with dogs around…. Ten pooches of various sizes and species stare longingly at 10 sausages up on the table. One big dog jumps onto the table and sets the rumpus in motion: "1 dog with all the sausages." "9 dogs with none." The table's knocked over, and two dogs play tug of sausage: "2 dogs each with half of them." "8 dogs wanting some." The tussle continues, and three dogs end up with most of the sausages, while the other seven have only three. What follows is sausage guarding, snatching, playing, and catching. Each double-page spread features a different split of 10 until each of the 10 dogs has a sausage…and then the inevitable happens (followed by a nap). Gravett's follow-up to 10 Cats (2023) is just as raucous and enjoyable. The pups might look a bit sad at one time or another, but it is obvious they are always playing (until they are eating), and in the penultimate spread they all work together to help the wiener dog get to the final wiener. All will laugh at the antics, and youngsters owned by doggies will easily pick out their canine companions in the crowd…they might even learn some simple math. (This book was reviewed digitally.) Fun from the first page to the last. (Picture book. 2-5) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.