Ocean Counting: Odd Numbers - Hardcover

Pallotta, Jerry

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0881061514 ISBN 13: 9780881061512

Publisher: Charlesbridge, 2005

Synopsis

With his trademark humor and wit, Jerry Pallotta teaches young readers how to count to 50 by odd numbers, using weird and wonderful ocean animals as counting tools. Explore the ocean as you meet 13 surf clams, 29 mussels, 49 smelts, and more.

About this title

About the Author

Jerry Pallotta is an award-winning author of children's alphabet books and imaginative fiction. His books combine interesting facts, detailed research, humor, and realistic illustrations that mesmerize children everywhere.

Reviews

Grade 2-4–A handsome companion to Underwater Counting: Even Numbers (Charlesbridge, 2001). Pallotta still counts by twos, but slips into the realm of odd numbers, which may prove a slight challenge to readers conditioned to even numbers. However, he does slide into the "evens" for the numbers 50 and 0 at the end of this eye-catching book. Bersani's bright, realistic colored-pencil illustrations will lure readers into perusing the factoid-loaded, simple, conversational text. From "1 Striped Bass" to "23 Horseshoe Crabs" to "50 Blue Sharks," this book offers a colorful, engaging, and intriguing slant on the technique of counting.–Patricia Manning, formerly at Eastchester Public Library, NY

PreS-Gr. 2. Eschewing the counting-book convention of presenting consecutive numbers, this exuberant offering counts by twos to 50 and includes only odd numbers (except for the deliberate inclusion of 50 and 0). Pallotta, creator of The Ocean Alphabet (1986), returns to the sea for his inspiration, so readers will find creatures from 9 little green crabs to 15 limpets to 33 sand dollars. Each entry includes an informal, nontechnical, endearingly disjointed paragraph about the marine animal pictured: "Count these twenty-nine blue mussels. Not many mollusks have a blue shell. If you ever look for blue sea glass, mussels can confuse you." The facts are as likely to be about the harvesting of the animals as about their biology, and occasional outbursts such as "Yay! Thirty-three!" add to the overall sense of giddiness. Bersani's mostly realistic colored-pencil illustrations are pleasing in both palette and composition. Future bean counters will revel in counting ("49 smelly smelts") in this innovative introduction to odd numbers and contagiously silly underwater adventure. Karin Snelson
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Edition details

• Publisher: Charlesbridge
• Publication date: 2005
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0881061514
• ISBN 13: 9780881061512
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 32