Olly and me 1-2-3

Although most concept books have an impersonal tone, Hughes warms up this counting book with appealing characters and colorful action scenes. On the first page, which begins with a big numeral 1 and one large dot, a little girl named Katie introduces herself. On the next, with the numeral 2 and two large dots, she is joined by her baby brother, Olly. In the next double-page spread, she points out the advantages of 2: hide-and-seek becomes possible, and certain things (shoes, socks, twins) come in pairs. With 3, another child might come to play, or maybe just their cat. On the pages that follow, more family members, friends, neighbors, and pets join the siblings, cheerfully interacting in different ways. Based on a solid understanding of human postures, gestures, and body proportions at different ages, the line drawings depict characters with a certain air of rumpled reality that makes Hughes' artwork so endearing and enduring. A fine counting book for young children.--Phelan, Carolyn Copyright 2009 Booklist

PreS-Gr 1-This concept book spans from 1 to 10, but "Numbers go on forever." The artwork is retooled from earlier books, but the text is fresh. Each spread features Hughes's distinctive watercolor and pencil illustrations of endearing children and several lines of text. Readers are given many opportunities to explore the numbers, such as the spread for two: banging saucepan lids, twin babies, sets of socks and shoes, two to play hide-and-seek, and two for bouncing games. This pleasant concept book has enough detail to invite lap sharing but is both simple and engaging enough to use with a group.-Laura Butler, Mount Laurel Library, NJ (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.