Synopsis
One bakery has many different breads; in one school there are many children. This unique book uses a busy city neighborhood to teach the concept of one versus many. The same author-and-artist team that created the evergreen title Only One takes children on a tour of shops, the firehouse, and more via a simple, soothing text and extraordinary woodblock illustrations. At the book's end, readers see how many neighborhoods can come together to make one city, showing how each one of us is part of something bigger.
Children's Literature
Young children grasp the idea of "one" and "many" but counting that out may be problematic. Here readers are given a counting book showing just those two ideas, one and many. The illustrations from a neighborhood in New York could lead children into thinking about their own neighbors and cities. One bakery but many breads, one school but many children, and so on shows the diversity within communities while allowing the idea of "many" to come through. Diversity is seen as a strength, and the ultimate hope is that we are at peace with all. Grainy illustrations with text set-off in a rectangular box above are reminiscent of old alphabet books and samplers. Colors are muted adding to the old feel. Some of the words like hardware store and delicatessen may need explanation in this day of super markets, but all in all this is a charming counting book. Reviewer: Leslie Greaves Radloff