The Big City/Big Country Counting Book

Deborah Dowson is a children’s librarian who has recently relocated to
North Wales, Pennsylvania.

Here are two great counting books in one. Read the book one way and
count objects that can be found in the city, then flip the book over and
begin again to count the same objects as they can be found in the
country. Look at each page and compare the country version with the city
version. How are the objects and the scenes different? In the middle of
the volume, where the two books meet, is a picture of 10 kids, 5 on each
page. The “10 funny friends” could be found in the city or the
country.

Ian Crysler’s sunny photographs depict happy scenes with plenty of
detail to encourage discussion, as well as the objects to locate and
count. These objects, which include hot dogs, pumpkins, horses, trucks,
and airplanes, are favorites with young children and thus easily
recognizable. As well, many of the photographs feature young children.

There is a overall sense of fun and play that jumps out at the reader,
beginning with the cover photographs of kids playing hopscotch. Primary
colors frame the cover photographs and blocks of bright color set the
text boldly apart from the glossy pictures. An attractive addition to
the counting-book collection. Recommended.