Quack and Count
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Overview
Slip, slide, leap, and dive with a family of seven lively ducklings as they get ready to fly for the very first time. Keith Baker's playful, rhyming text and bold collage illustrations capture the excitement of a day's adventures—and gently introduce counting.
Seven ducklings take a rhyming look at addition.
Synopsis
Seven ducklings show how easy--and fun--addition can be in the board book edition of a Keith Baker favorite.
Publishers Weekly
Lush, layered, cut-paper illustrations of ducklings in a marshy landscape create visual density that contrasts with the simplicity of the narrative in this attractive early math book. The book ever-so-gently introduces addition, dividing the seven ducks into different groupings. Starting with "6 plus 1," Baker (Big Fat Hen) moves one duck at a time to the right-hand page, so he works through all possible combinations. For example, the lines "Splashing as they leap and dive/ 7 ducklings, 2 plus 5" clarify a picture of two ducks diving into a pond to join five that are already swimming on the other page; in the next spread, one duck is on the left page, six are bottoms-up on the right. The artwork often camouflages the septet, making the counting a fun challenge: the ducklings sometimes overlap, or readers can spot them among the ferns and grasses. Baker varies the engaging compositions and characterizes the ducks as a lively bunch: in one scene they play hide-and-seek, and in another they gather in two rings to test out their lungs ("Quack-quack-quacking on the shore"). Ladybugs, snails and other wildlife keep the ducks company. This deceptively straightforward book introduces youngsters to addition in such an unobtrusive, organic and merry way that they may not even notice how much they're learning. Ages 2-7. (Aug.) Copyright 1999 Cahners Business Information.
Editorials
From the Publisher
"This deceptively straightforward book introduces youngsters to addition in such an unobtrusive, organic and merry way that they may not even notice how much they're learning. "—Publishers Weekly"Wonderfully handled . . . harmoniously reinforcing the beauty of numbers themselves."—Chicago Tribune
"A delightful book offering loads of fun with the number seven. . . . This charmer should have little ones figuring out the basic concept of addition in no time."—Booklist
Publishers Weekly
"Seven ducklings splash and play in different combinations that introduce basic addition. Collage art fills the jungle and pond life scenes with a riot of colors and textures," noted PW. Ages 2-5. (Mar.) Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.Publishers Weekly -
Lush, layered, cut-paper illustrations of ducklings in a marshy landscape create visual density that contrasts with the simplicity of the narrative in this attractive early math book. The book ever-so-gently introduces addition, dividing the seven ducks into different groupings. Starting with "6 plus 1," Baker (Big Fat Hen) moves one duck at a time to the right-hand page, so he works through all possible combinations. For example, the lines "Splashing as they leap and dive/ 7 ducklings, 2 plus 5" clarify a picture of two ducks diving into a pond to join five that are already swimming on the other page; in the next spread, one duck is on the left page, six are bottoms-up on the right. The artwork often camouflages the septet, making the counting a fun challenge: the ducklings sometimes overlap, or readers can spot them among the ferns and grasses. Baker varies the engaging compositions and characterizes the ducks as a lively bunch: in one scene they play hide-and-seek, and in another they gather in two rings to test out their lungs ("Quack-quack-quacking on the shore"). Ladybugs, snails and other wildlife keep the ducks company. This deceptively straightforward book introduces youngsters to addition in such an unobtrusive, organic and merry way that they may not even notice how much they're learning. Ages 2-7. (Aug.) Copyright 1999 Cahners Business Information.Children's Literature -
In rhyming couplets, seven baby ducks make their way through the grass, playing, sliding, leaping and diving in various groupings which always total seven. Finally, "paddling, flapping, reaching high seven ducklings start to...FLY!" Preschoolers will happily chant "Good-bye, Good-bye" as the ducklings fly off and will no doubt learn the combinations (read: addition facts) effortlessly. Baker's exquisite collage illustrations, formed from a variety of painted papers, move the action along without muddying it. The orange-beaked characters stand out cleverly against the greenery and the blue pond water making this book a good bet for preschool story hours and a natural reinforcement of mathematics.Children's Literature
In rhyming couplets, seven baby ducks make their way through the grass, playing, sliding, leaping and diving in various groupings which always total seven. Finally, "paddling, flapping, reaching high seven ducklings start to...FLY!" Preschoolers will happily chant "Good-bye, Good-bye" as the ducklings fly off and will no doubt learn the combinations (read: addition facts) effortlessly. Baker's exquisite collage illustrations, formed from a variety of painted papers, move the action along without muddying it. The orange-beaked characters stand out cleverly against the greenery and the blue pond water making this board book a good bet for preschool story hours and a natural reinforcement of mathematics. 2003 (orig. 1999), Red Wagon/Harcourt, Ages 6 mo. to 3.— Susan Hepler, Ph.D.