Countdown to Spring!: An Animal Counting Book [Board book]

Janet Schulman (Author), Meilo So (Illustrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 13, 2004 | Age Level: 1 and up

What a wonderful way for preschoolers to practice counting and, at the same time, celebrate the coming of spring! From ten little ladybugs crawling all around the crocuses to one Easter basket brimful of carrots, corn, berries, and other treats for the animals, this book is a joy to share with a very young child. Meilo So’s inspired and deft watercolor paintings of bunnies, chicks, ducklings, and other little woodland creatures set against a tapestry of flowers capture the very essence of spring.

This new sturdy board book edition is just right for toddlers who are starting to learn
to count.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Once spring has sprung, all the little woodland and meadow critters come out to play. Janet Schulman and Meilo So celebrate the dawn of this gentle season with a perfectly lovely counting book. From "10 Ladybugs crawling all around the crocuses" to "1 Easter Basket filled with treats for all the animals," the countdown includes peeping chicks, scurrying squirrels, and creeping foxes, all painted in So's spare, appealing watercolors. A riot of wildflowers and marsh reeds serves as a backdrop for each beautifully arranged spread, with the animals to be counted frolicking or fluttering all around. Learning to count will be easy with this happy, memorable picture book.

Acclaimed children's book publisher and author Janet Schulman is the anthologist of You Read to Me & I'll Read to You. Award-winning artist Meilo So's delicate watercolors can also be seen in The 20th-Century Children's Poetry Treasury and It's Simple, Said Simon, among other gems. (Ages 3 to 7) --Emilie Coulter --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From School Library Journal

reS-K-It's spring and children are invited to count "10 Ladybugs crawling all around the crocuses.-9 Butterflies See them flutter by," and so on, counting down to one colorful Easter basket "filled with treats for all the animals." Softly rendered illustrations of the creatures and their surroundings bring the story to life with graceful energy and a sense of seasonal excitement, while providing clear examples of the numbers 1 to 10. On the final page, the wildlife is shown in a group, next to their corresponding numbers, allowing for visual comparison and reinforcement of the concept, as children are encouraged to "count them all again." The text tells a very simple story with just enough action to keep toddlers and preschoolers interested. A good choice for small group or one-on-one sharing.

Melinda Piehler, North Tonawanda Public Library, NY

Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 1 and up
  
• Board book: 24 pages
• Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers (January 13, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0375826955
• ISBN-13: 978-0375826955
• Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 0.5 x 5.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.9 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,669,518 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Just right for an Easter basket!, February 27, 2002

By 

W. FLANAGAN "Dutchgirl-73" (The Pacific Northwest) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Countdown to Spring! An Animal Counting Book (Hardcover)

Simple, but beautiful watercolor paintings of springtime creatures invite young children to use their counting skills. Starting with ten ladybugs, each page counts down to include 9 butterflies, 8 birds, 7 chicks, 6 ducklings, 5 mice, 4 bunnies, 3 squirrels and 2 foxes. The final spread has an Easter basket filled with goodies for each of the animals. The animals on each page are shown along with flowers of the season, such as iris, crocus, tulips, cherry blossoms and daffodils. Although the book is fairly small, and therefore easy for a young child to hold, it will work well in a toddler or young preschool storytime setting, because the text is simple, and the illustrations are easily visible from a distance. Keep this title in mind for including in a young child's Easter basket!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Spring is Here....., May 6, 2002

By 

Roz Levine - See all my reviews

This review is from: Countdown to Spring! An Animal Counting Book (Hardcover)

"It's spring! Do you think the children who live here will remember their animal friends on this special day?" Turn the page and let's find out. Beginning with ten bright red and black lady bugs, crawling among the beautiful purple and yellow crocuses, little ones are asked, "Can you count them?" Then nine butterflies flutter across the double page spread, eight bright yellow, singing birds, seven peeping chicks, six quacking ducks, and on and on until you reach "1 Easter Basket filled with treats for all the animals." Janet Schulman and Meilo So have authored a simple, gentle little treasure of a counting book, that will charm preschoolers as young as two, with its engaging springtime animals and bright, colorful, watercolor artwork. Perfect for lap cuddling, Countdown To Spring is a sweet, fresh, vibrant and fun way to introduce both counting and the warmer season coming our way.

3.0 out of 5 stars Not What I was Looking For, April 17, 2010

By 

Miles' mom - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Countdown to Spring!: An Animal Counting Book (Board book)

From the description this appeared to be a spring book. It is, but it also mentions Easter. I was hoping for something that was strictly spring.