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COUNTING ON COMMUNITY
BY INNOSANTO NAGARA ; ILLUSTRATED BY INNOSANTO NAGARA ‧ RELEASE DATE: SEPT. 15, 2015

Adifficult concept is simply and strikingly illustrated for the very youngest members of any community, with a counting exercise to boot.

From the opening invitation, “Living in community, / it's a lot of FUN! / Lets count the ways. / Lets start with ONE,” Nagaro shows an urban community that is multicultural, supportive, and happy—exactly like the neighborhoods that many families choose to live and raise their children in. Text on every other page rhymes unobtrusively. Unlike the vocabulary found in A Is for Activist (2013), this book’s is entirely age-appropriate (though some parents might not agree that picketing is a way to show “that we care”). In A Is for Activist, a cat was hidden on each page; this time, finding the duck is the game. Counting is almost peripheral to the message. On the page with “Seven bikes and scooters and helmets to share,” identifying toys in an artistic heap is confusing. There is only one helmet for five toys, unless you count the second helmet worn by the girl riding a scooter—but then there are eight items, not seven. Seven helmets and seven toys would have been clearer. That quibble aside, Nagara's graphic design skills are evident, with deep colors, interesting angles, and strong lines, in a mix of digital collage and ink.

Ideal for any community where children count. (Board book. 2-5)" www.kirkusreviews.com

i really liked this book because of its use of colorful illustrations and detail. I loved this books language and rhythm. It counts up from one stuffed piñata to ten hefty. In the story, they always count on one another. In addition to that, the book stresses the importance of children recognizing the value of community along with the joys of outdoor activities. The book also utilizes diverse characters and it displays great character development, making the book very engaging! ( )

I'm not actually a big fan of counting books generally because, like, your kid's gonna learn numbers, relax and read them something with a story instead, but this one's pretty good--most of the progressive righteousness of A Is for Activist with little of the progressive self-righteousness. ( )