Anno's Counting Book

 Review

Common Sense Media says

Book gently encourages kids to compare and count.
greenON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
yellowPAUSE: Know your child; some content
may not be right for some kids.
redOFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
not for kidsNOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age.

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Quality
 
Sometimes media can be age appropriate but a real waste of time. Our star rating assesses the media's overall quality.

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Parents say

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Kids say

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What parents need to know

Parents need to know that pastoral scenes, rendered in bright watercolors and containing a multitude of intriguing details, capture readers' attention, and the format invites them to respond to the changing landscape of objects.

What's the story?

How did our ancestors account for things without a number system or words with which to express themselves? Observation of the natural world, the author proposes. This deceptively simple idea forms the basis of this stunning picture book. Composed without words, Anno's work relies on detailed illustrations to stimulate children's natural curiosity, gently encouraging them to compare and count.

 


Is it any good?

 

This extraordinary counting book has both great kid appeal and a sound educational basis. Mitsumasa Anno's systematic increase of objects in the illustrations naturally leads young children to count. His illustrations invite extended examination and are the source of the book's success.

The pictures' myriad details are real kid-pleasers -- careful observers can seek out subtle hints indicating what will develop next in the town, discover what the woman is hanging on her laundry line, notice what the children are playing with, etc. All the while, the reader is absorbing fundamental ideas and basic building blocks of mathematical understanding. Very young children can benefit too, with the assistance of an adult.


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What families can talk about

Families can talk about counting and sets. After examining the book, examine objects around you and organize them in sets to count.


This review was written by Ann Marie Sammataro

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This review was written by Ann Marie Sammataro
Author:Mitsumasa Anno
Illustrator:Mitsumasa Anno
Book type:Non-Fiction
Genre:Counting
Publisher:HarperTrophy
Publication date:January 1, 1975
Number of pages:28
Paperback price:$6.99
Publisher's recommended age(s):4 - 7

This review was written by Ann Marie Sammataro
 

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About our rating system
ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids.
OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
Learning ratings
BEST: Really engaging, great learning approach.
GOOD: Pretty engaging, good learning approach.
FAIR: Somewhat engaging, OK learning approach.
NOT FOR LEARNING: Not recommended for learning.

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