Common Sense Media Review
By Jan Carr
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Bear teaches counting to 5 in fun, simple rhyming book.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 3+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
What's the Story?
In BEAR COUNTS, Bear takes a walk in the woods and finds things to count. First there's the number 1: one sun, one dragonfly, one robin, one berry. After that are two things together: two paws, two apples, two stumps, two friends. These are followed, of course, by 3, 4, then 5: "Numbers, numbers everywhere. Can you count along with Bear?"
Is It Any Good?
This simple rhyming book is great for teaching kids to count objects up to 5, a manageable number for kids learning to count. It invites them to not only parrot numbers by rote but also pair each number with an object, the foundation of real understanding of a number. The things that the kids are encouraged to count are distinct and clearly clustered so the counting's not confusing. And the rhyme scheme signals the next number, so that when you turn the page, kids can shout it out. Unfortunately, the rhythms of the stanzas are often choppy and hard to read smoothly, but the overall feel is encouraging and fun.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about numbers and counting. Can you count five things?
Name the animals. Do you recognize any of Bear's friends from other Bear books? Can you spy any new animals in this book?
Look closely at the pictures. What are some of the animals doing? Do the pictures tell more of the story than the words?
Book Details
- Author :
- Illustrator : Jane Chapman
- Genre : Picture Book
- Topics : Friendship , Numbers and Letters , STEM , Animals ( Wild Animals )
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Margaret K. McElderry
- Publication date : May 12, 2015
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 3 - 7
- Number of pages : 32
- Available on : Nook, Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Last updated : September 30, 2025
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