A day’s activities negate the result of a toddler’s morning bath in this delightful counting adventure. The counting begins with one naked baby, fresh from a bath, and continues as he gets dressed and has snack. Then it’s out the door to explore the quintessential spring day (worms, puddles, flowers, sticks, birds), and the numbers descend, back to one muddy baby back in the bathtub. Gentle rhymes and familiar scenes make this good for sharing anytime. “Nine stones for stepping, / Eight robins race, / Seven worms wiggle, / Six chipmunks chase.” Smith’s illustrations are a feast for the eye and the brain, providing lots of linkages between number words and numerals. Vertical stripes list the numerals from one to ten—the featured number is a different color. Number words are also separated by color from the rest of the text. Young children will happily peruse each bright watercolor, appreciating the toddler’s perspective and the up-close view of his comfortable world. The endpapers are a winding path from naked baby back to naked baby, with all the objects that were counted in between. A great addition to any collection. (Picture book. 1-5)
