FISH, SWISH! SPLASH, DASH!

The clever construction of this counting book guarantees a repeat audience: After counting up to ten, readers turn the book upside down and count back down to one, where they can begin yet again. The rhyming text is spare, keeping the focus on the counting (both numerals and word names are used), but invigorating enough to mimic the splashy action of the fish. The real draw for children, though, will be the illustrations. Ingenious fish-shaped cutouts in each page overlap to create uniquely colored and patterned fish. So unique in fact that reversing the stack to read it again results in completely different fish. Eyes and stripes are disguised within pages as bubbles and seaweed, and the brilliant colors will hold the attention of even those youngest readers who cannot yet count. Thick cardboard pages ensure that this will withstand a lot of use, thereby making it a good choice for libraries looking to expand their counting-book collection. (Picture book. 2-5)