Christopher Counting

Christopher loves counting. The fish in his aquarium, the petals on flowers, the toys in his toy box—Christopher Rabbit counts them all! He loves counting so much, he tries to count everything—even the stars in the sky! And the good-night kisses his sweet mother wants to share.

Valeri Gorbachev, with his enchanting illustrations, brings life and charm to this picture book that shows children the joy and adventure in counting, not only in the classroom—but everywhere!

Publishers Weekly

Unlike many counting books that seem to stomp decisively through numbers one to 10, Gorbachev (Heron and Turtle) camouflages the concept in a story about a gentle rabbit named Christopher who simply falls in love with counting. After a successful lesson at school, Christopher counts everything-pencils, fish, toys, plates, cups, shoes, steps and flower petals-and although the pages are not accompanied by numerals, there are plenty of opportunities for readers to count along with Christopher. Pen and watercolor paintings sweetly capture Christopher's wide-eyed, slightly screwball delight. The dialogue grows somewhat stilted ("A 'Hey, Christopher! We are going to play basketball with the Herons. Come play with us!'... 'Not today. I'd rather count how many baskets you make'A ") and the plot a little pale. However, the exhilaration Gorbachev conveys in his paintings of Christopher is infectious, and readers may very well be tempted to join in this protagonist's numbers game. Ages 5-up. (Apr.)

Valeri Gorbachev lives in Brooklyn, New York.