The Horn Book Guide

PICTURE BOOKS

Sayre, April Pulley , Sayre, Jeff

One Is a Snail, Ten Is a Crab: A Counting by Feet Book

40 pp. | Candlewick | May, 2003 | Trade ISBN 0-7636-1406-8 $$15.99

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Randy Cecil. "1 is a snail" (because a snail has one "foot"), "2 is a person. / 3 is a person and a snail. / 4 is a dog" and so on; eventually, "50 is five crabs . . . / or ten dogs and a crab." While this unusual approach--using feet to count to 100--may confuse at first, it will also lead some children to "aha" moments about grouping and higher mathematics. The humorous illustrations are instantly appealing.

Reviewer: Melinda Greenblatt