Counting on Snow
PreS-Gr 1–Newhouse begins with “10 caribou crunching” and counts backwards to “1 moose, silent in the falling snow.” In between, other animals that inhabit the upper reaches of Canada are featured. The paintings are dark, featuring black and grays, occasionally relieved by sapphire blue. The animals are closely intertwined, making it difficult to ensure an accurate count. Snow slowly begins to fall, further increasing the difficulty of seeing the animals as separate and distinct. Perhaps this was Newhouse's intent, requiring children to focus closely, but the likelihood is that they will be frustrated instead. Better counting books abound, as do books featuring these particular animals.–Grace Oliff, Ann Blanche Smith School, Hillsdale, NJ. (c) Copyright 2010.  Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc.  No redistribution permitted.