Through the Looking Glass Children's Book Reviews
Counting in the Garden
Illustrator: Patrick Hruby
Board book
For infants to age 3
Ammo Books, 2011 ISBN: 978-1934429709
There is something special about a well-tended garden that is full of wonderful fruits and veggies to eat, and colorful flowers to admire. In this book, you get to explore a colorful garden with a young boy. We see one onion that has “many, many peels,” and later the little boy finds three little thistle plants “that grew by accident.” Then there are four tall sunflowers that look as if they are reaching for the sky. Five “shiny and green” watermelons tumble across the dark earth, their twisting vines curling this way and that.
Throughout this counting book, children will find vivid illustrations that capture the rich variety of colors, textures, shapes, and relationships that can be found in a garden. With each new number, something is added to the garden, and children will enjoy the cumulative nature of the art. The garden scene get busier and more beautiful as new plants are animals are added, and children can practice counting what they see in front of them.
