COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS!

Cuddlebear and his mama count his blessings in a candy-coated world.

This anthropomorphic bear counts from one to 10 the things (friends, family, food, home, etc.) he is thankful for in the lightly Thanksgiving-themed scenes. There are one or two flaps per page of various sizes that open to reveal a variety of images behind doors, windows, cupboards, rocks and more. An additional flap on the page has a numeral on the outside and provides an invitation on the interior to count various objects of said quantity on the page. Many of these objects are so small that they are impossible to locate and are blurry in the too-detailed, overbusy art. The sister book, Countdown to Christmas (978-1-4027-9983-9), reverses the process and takes readers from 10 to one as Little Reindeer eagerly counts off the days to Christmas. Again, the flaps on each page reveal elves and various critters getting ready for the big day at Santa’s workshop. Numbers are written on flaps shaped like Christmas-tree ornaments, and below these flaps readers are encouraged to pinpoint various items. Again, many of these objects (particularly paint cans and snowballs) are difficult to find. Both the art and the text drip sentimentality.

Save young readers and would-be counters the frustration and don’t open these ineffective holiday packages.