In this deceptively simple counting book, Max and Josephine tend their garden while readers follow along, counting from one to ten as the garden is planted. Then readers can count in groups of tens as the garden is harvested, while they search through the pictures for the many small animals that are hiding throughout. A concise and clever text introduces color and rhythm, and the illustrations are bright and engaging, making this a perfect counting book.
The bright, colorful illustrations that fill each page make the gardening experience for two children look like a blast and will make your child want to learn all about the process. With simple text explaining the process from planting a seed to the combination of rain and sun that is needed for the plant to grow to harvesting the fruits and vegetables, preschool-age children will be riveted with this gardening tale.
Following a simple counting format, children learn to count from one to 10 while watching the kids plant various fruits and vegetables in their garden. For more advanced counters, harvesting the produce gives children the opportunity to practice counting by tens to one hundred. The bottom of each page is lined with numerals counting up to the featured number and giving kids the chance to count along. Perhaps after reading this story, your child will be interested in planting their own small garden, or simply helping you with your garden, and watching the plants grow over the season.
As a fan of most fruits and vegetables, Emily, the three-year-old I babysit, was most fascinated with how yummy everything looked, from the blueberries to the ears of corn. The final page, which depicts hundreds and thousands of "big, white crunchy puffs" of popcorn, was especially exciting for her and inspired an afternoon snack of popcorn.
--Abby