ALFIE'S 1-2-3

Alfie and his little sister Annie Rose are back, this time introducing the numbers one through ten in a playful approach to counting. Hughes (The Lion and the Unicorn. 1999, etc.) uses familiar topics, such as birthday parties and visits to Grandma’s, to capture the reader’s attention while incorporating the numbers into an engaging series of vignettes about Alfie, Annie Rose and their friends and family. Prominently placed in the corner of the page is the featured number. Next to each numeral is the corresponding number of dots, giving readers a visual reference to reinforce the concept. Naturally Alfie leaves his individual stamp on the tale as he and readers count everything from inquisitive pigs and birthday balloons to cows munching in a field. In a novel approach, Hughes also provides more than one example for each number along with some simple addition. “Eight people walking to work up Alfie’s street. Are the same number coming home again? If you add one little dog, that makes nine.” Her winning illustrations feature cherubic children doing what comes naturally: playing in the park, snuggling up with friends, etc. The warmly drawn pictures, brimming with detail, beckon to readers, encouraging them to explore their world. Fans of Alfie will savor this newest adventure while the uninitiated will quickly discover why this series has such enduring popularity with children and adults alike. (Picture book. 2-5)