SEASIDE COUNTDOWN

A child encounters seaside and underwater creatures in this counting book.

Repeating the phrase What does Ann find, a brown-skinned girl spots various ocean and beach dwellers. The story counts down from 10 to one, emphasizing the numbers and colors of Ann’s discoveries. For example, she sees “Eight Green Crabs / With eight legs each” on the sand; “Seven Orange Scallops / Playing in the sea”; five “Yellow Starfish” frolicking “in a pool full of fun”; and three “Brown Sea Snails” that “slither and crawl!” Other sightings include black eels, gray shrimp, and purple sea urchins. Lastly, Ann finds one “Mussel Shell” that is “as blue as the ocean deep,” which she takes home as a souvenir. Ryan’s tale underscores counting skills and color recognition. The numbers are shown in a larger font than the rest of the text and in the same color as Ann’s discovery. For example, a big red “4” is shown when the tale refers to “Four Red Sea Horses,” and the word Red is in red. Young readers will enjoy following along with Ann and identifying colors and numbers. The author’s animated illustrations are bright and cheerful. They depict the inquisitive girl’s journey as she roams with a pail and net, watches the waves from behind railings, and sits in a boat. The images show friendly, smiling sea creatures; underwater plants; and entertaining details like windmills, sailboats, a scuba diver, a treasure chest, and more.

A fun and educational aquatic tale for kids.