COUNT YOUR WAY THROUGH GREECE

Learning to count in Greek is now as easy as one, two, three, in this entry in the Count Your Way series; Haskins and Benson use the numbers one through ten to expound on Greek history and culture. An introductory note explains the history of the Greek alphabet and its influence on contemporary English, then it's on to the digits. Each number is written in Greek and phonetically in English. While some of the subjects relate directly to the number assigned (five, for example, represents the circles that make up the Olympic symbol), others are more arbitrary. One represents Greek Orthodoxy—the only official religion of Greece; six stands for the ``most important'' Greek deities (on whose list?), and ten represents ``ten animals featured in Aesop's fables.'' (Aesop included more.) The structure works well as a means for presenting a smattering of Greek culture, but will be confusing if readers assume the number is intrinsically linked with the subject depicted. Porter's impressionistic illustrations aptly reflect the powdery whites of limed walls and the soothing blues of the Aegean. This book's like a whiff of moussaka: tantalizing, but leaves one craving more. (Picture book/nonfiction. 6-9)