Common Sense Media Review
By Patricia Tauzer
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Counting and wordplay, with eye-catching color, and fun!
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 3+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
What's the Story?
One boy sits alone in the beginning, starting off this book that not only counts from 1 to 10 but also uses a die-cut opening to show how one word is imbedded in another. As readers turn the pages, they will see "one" become "alone," "seals" turn to "sea," "apes" to "escape," and up to 10 "ants" in your "pants." The boy is still around in the end, walking off and leaving behind the paintings he has made, each of which was a page in the book.
Is It Any Good?
From the dye-cut red cover to the final page, ONE BOY captures the mind and the eye, making it a great choice for kids beginning to count as well as those learning to read. The colors are playfully bright, the text (and font it is printed in) is simple, and the use of the die-cut opening is a clever way to introduce the more complicated idea of words within words. On top of all that, this is also the story of one boy, his imagination, and his paintings. Even with its final "ants in the pants" scenario that could make some readers squeamish, this is a very friendly, comfortable, beautiful book, and one worthy of the awards it has already received.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the number and word presented on each page and then try to guess what the next word will be. How does "one" become "alone" and what makes that just the right word to follow? How about "seals" at the "sea" and so on? Parents and older kids may want to continue this game, and have fun finding words imbedded in words on their own. Younger kids might use this book simply as a counting book.
Book Details
- Author :
- Illustrator : Laura Vaccaro Seeger
- Genre : Picture Book
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Roaring Brook Press
- Publication date : September 2, 2008
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 2 - 6
- Number of pages : 48
- Last updated : July 13, 2017
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
Suggest an Update
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate