The Number Garden

This book came at the perfect time for my 5 year old daughter. She is in pre-K, with kindergarten registration on the horizon, I just had the realization that my daughter didn't really know her numbers. Yikes! Numbers are introduced in this book in a fun way, and there are 2 fold-out pages with even more numbers. In the story, the numbers go from 1 - 12. The illustrations are cute, and reminiscent of the illustration style in the book The Goodnight Moon. This book is sturdy, so it could be a gift for a very young child who would be looking at it simply to look at pictures, and it will last until the child is old enough to learn about numbers and recite them. My daughter and I have fun looking at the illustrations and tracing the large numbers with our finger in the book, as well as reading the short story. We are also focusing on letter sounds, so this is helpful for reading as well. This, in addition to a 1-100 number chart I printed off of the internet, is what I have been using to teach my daughter number recognition. She has done pretty well in one week with my crash course method!

"The Number Garden" by Sarah Pinto ------------------------------- This is an odd and innovative learning-to-count book, with pop-up style flaps that add another layer of information and encourage children (and adults) to develop their own storymaking skills. Things seem pretty normal, at first: the old-fashioned looking children's book illustrations lull you into seeing this as a traditional book, and the first few numbers seem to bear that out. One sun rises in the sky... two bunnies watch it rise... but when Ms. Pinto gets to the seven garden gnomes, things get a little weirder and harder to track, as the bunnies and gnomes get into a sprinkler fight with and visual details multiply wildly. It's pretty funny, and pretty fun. I think I'll track down her earlier book as well. (Joe Sixpack, ReadThatAgain children's book reviews)

This is a nice little counting picture book with a garden party theme. Each number has an item that is shown and then shown again under a little garden gate lift the flap on the page. Each time a new number is introduced an item is added to the little party scene that adds up behind the garden gate flaps, until you get to number twelve when the stars come out and the day and story scene has come to an end. The very last page of the book lists little items up to number 78. I don't think I have ever seen that in a counting book before. The book is suitable for either a boy or girl and best for children who do not rip off the flaps.

I found this book to be great. First you have the basic numbers that match with some items. For example one sun or two rabbits etc. There is the number and the word which works well for older children. Once you open the flap there is a illustration including the items from previous pages. The pictures are great and provide a great talking point with your child. As you can say where are the rabbits? What are they doing? etc. At the every back the items are out in lines to make for easy counting and then they are all added together. I find this a wonderful plus as older children can use this book to count beyond 12 and go all the way up to 78. The book is printed on thicker pages which is great for younger children but thinner than a board book so older kids won't feel like they are really reading a baby book. I can't say enough good things about this book.

This charmingly illustated book will be great for pre-schoolers or English language learners. Printed on very heavy stock, with a strong binding, it is ideal for young children. The whimsickle illustrations are just wonderful. Highly recomended.