ONE, TWO, THREE is a fine example of Boynton's signature style, which is consistently amusing and with an educational bent. A winning blend of whimsy and wry practicality, Boynton's light tone and bright illustrations are ideal for young children. Infants to toddlers and beyond can all enjoy this book. However, it is preschoolers, poised to learn their numbers, who really benefit from this title.

Boynton's illustrations greatly contribute to making this book as enjoyable as it is educational. Her quirky characters are vastly appealing to a kid's sense of humor. One two-and-a-half-year-old reader was particularly tickled by the tea-party illustration for the number three, featuring a duck, a pig, and a cat balancing their teacups on their heads.

From a purely educational perspective, one omission is glaring; the numerals themselves--which would enable children to make the connection between the word two and the numeral 2, for example--are missing from the pages. David Kirk's Miss Spider's Tea Party, which does incorporate numerals into the tale, is another vibrantly illustrated counting board book, and Dorling Kindersley publishes 123 as part of its My First Board Books series.