COUNT ME A RHYME

Mother-and-son team Yolen and Stemple follow up Color Me a Rhyme (2000) with this engaging counting book. Throughout, Yolen’s verse is matched with Stemple’s full-color photographs of animals. The pairings are organic: In “Eight Bighorn Sheep,” two, skinny vertical lines of text, side-by-side, mimic Stemple’s image of sheep ascending a rocky cliff. “Nine Swallows: A Haiku” is illustrated by nine little birds on a telephone line against a solid blue sky. The numbers one to ten are the focus, but the final poem, “Many,” pays homage to the infinite wonder of numbers and nature. Numerals, Roman numerals and related words (e.g., octave, ninth) accompany each poem. Readers will enjoy counting the creatures that appear on each spread. Many, no doubt, will memorize the enchanting verse. (Picture book. 10-12)