How Many Squirrels Are in the World?

There is a page of squirrel facts at the end, including the information that National Squirrel Appreciation day is January 21! While there is a little bit of information about the different colors it is usual to see in squirrels (brown, cream, black, and red), the squirrels in the book also come in purple, orande, and blue! The artwork, which are digitally rendered, has a watercolor or chalk pastel feel to it, and the outdoor settings make it fun to hunt for all of the squirrels on each two page spread. The animals are shown flying from branch to branch in trees, hunkered down on the ground enjoying nuts, and chasing each other around playground. This would be fun to read with a small child who is honing counting skills.

The rhyme in this is fine, and the text is limited, which makes it a fast read aloud. This is a good thing if the book becomes a favorite! After reading this, I realized that my knowledge of counting books is fairly limited; I don't think Gag's Millions of Cats is really a "counting" book! Lynge's Counting Arctic Animals, Drago's Monsters Play... Counting and Lake's 1,2,3...Animals would be good companions to this one. Of course, to really balance things out, Barclay's Counting Dogs or the fantastic 100 Dogs: Playful Pups to Count by Michael Whaite are a good balance!