ONE GUINEA PIG IS NOT ENOUGH

This is not a counting book, but an adding book; Duke (Archaeologists Dig for Clues, 1997, etc.) uses number-driven events to introduce simple addition, thereby reinforcing the learning of numbers, and in the process creating an interesting story that shows off the personality of each character.

"One lonely guinea pig plus one other lonely guinea pig make two smiling guinea pigs.'' As the animals increase in number, they become a gang, picnicking, jumping, singing till they meet up with "ten mom or dad guinea pigs,'' and make twenty—or plenty. A lot of clear space and Duke's unpretentious, almost cartoonish illustrative style has to its credit many details that make the book even more fun: a homemade costume constructed of feathers and paper clips; a boom box, a vending machine, and other paraphernalia that children will like.

The numerals appear as big as life in the middle of the scenes, in a book that is warm and playful from beginning to end.