One Cheetah, One Cherry: A Book of Beautiful Numbers

PreS—A simple animal counting book with a regal air. Each number is represented on a spread featuring a single type of animal, with dogs and mice being the only household varieties. In an interesting juxtaposition, the animals are lifelike and stately, yet playfully attired or engaged. Pandas sport "pretty painted parasols," tigers play "pat-a-cake," and mice sip from tiny china teacups. The subdued, earthy watercolor tones are accurate for each species, but the settings and attire have a hint of majesty as a result of the addition of gold leaf and a repeated paisley background motif, often in purple. Also adding a degree of opulence is a rich, mottled ochre color suggesting marble. No seeking or finding is necessary; the animals are large in scale and neatly arrayed for easy counting. White border space on the bottom of each page provides the location for simple, descriptive text that is sometime alliterative, sometimes loosely rhymed: "Two dogs, two balls, one big, one small." Endpapers offer further opportunities for counting and contain the only numerical representations of the numbers one through 10.