NUMBERS 1 TO 100

Young children learn to count from one to 100 in both English and Spanish.

Readers familiar with other books in the Canticos family will recognize some of the animals making appearances here, though that familiarity is not required in order to appreciate this book. Brightly hued chicks, elephants, rabbits, spiders, frogs, and others, all with distinctly anthropomorphized and babyish looks, introduce the numbers, counting from one to 10, then by tens to 50, and then 100. Both the numeric symbols and the written words are presented in simple and straightforward double-page spreads, all including the never-miss toddler crowd pleaser: a lift-the-flap window. “3 / Three chickies”; “5 / Five spiders”; “10 / Ten bubbles”; “50 / Fifty apples”; “100 / One hundred raindrops.” Upon lifting the flap, readers find the Spanish version underneath: “3 / Tres pollitos”; “5 / Cinco arañas”; “10 / Diez burbujas”; “50 / Cincuenta manzanas”; “100 / Cien gotas de lluvia.” There is little that is surprising or sparks the imagination in the presentation, but it does the job of introducing the numbers in both languages. Rather than sharing it with babies, adults may find the book better used as a language teaching device with older preschoolers that have an understanding of quantity and numbers and can already count in one or the other language. There is no pronunciation guide for either language, so familiarity with both is assumed.

Sweet yet unremarkable.