One whole bunch

PreS-Gr 1--In this simple counting board book, readers follow a young boy and a ladybug as they collect a wide variety of flowers for a bouquet for they boy's mother. The bright and cheery illustrations give perspective to the size of the flowers in relation to the little boy; the lavender and forget-me-nots are shown small in the palms of the boy's hands while the much larger peonies and the sunflower block most of his face. One of the best running elements of the book is finding the ladybug on each page and looking at its size compared to the flowers. The mixed media artwork used to create the flowers is subtle and the whole book is pleasant and appealing to look at. VERDICT Simple, lovely, and perfect for one-on-one sharing, especially around Mother's Day. A recommended purchase.--Shana Shea, Windsor Public Library, CT

Young children can learn the names of some flowers and practice their number skills by counting down from 10 to one in this attractive concept book.On heavy, textured paper the book portrays a light-skinned brown child with a mop of brown hair happily gathering a colorful bouquet of flowers. "TEN stems of lavender, / NINE dandelions / EIGHT daisies / SEVEN sweet peas / SIX tidy tips" (of daisies, apparently), and so it goes until there is "ONE whole bunch of love for Mama"but perhaps even more importantly, as can be seen in the last spread, in which a smiling Mama has her arms around the child"a great big hug for me." Observant children will enjoy spotting the little ladybug that makes an appearance on every spread. Gillingham's mixed-media artwork includes paper collage and a palette of saturated pastel colors. Each spread has a clean and uncluttered look that adds to the upbeat feel of the book. Though there is nothing particularly new or exciting about the content, adult readers may want to consider it because of its charming presentation. Pair this with Susan Anderson's book Flowers for Mommy (1997).Readers looking for a springtime or Mother's Day theme may find this book fills the bill. (Board book. 2-4) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.