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Reviewed by Kristine Zimmerman for Readers' Favorite
Get ready for some counting and rhyming fun! Diane Belinfanti's Counting on Friends takes place down at the pond. What lives at the pond? The story starts with one frog sitting on a log. Soon, he is joined by a dragonfly. Now, there are two sitting on a log. More friends join them until they are a party of five. After some time together, the friends leave one by one until Frog is again by himself. In addition to counting the animals that join Frog, there are many other groups of five found in the illustrations that kids can count. There is a list at the end so young readers can make sure they've spied them all.
Once again, Diane Belinfanti has crafted a beautiful book that combines skills for early readers with an introduction to the natural world. As a retired children's librarian, I've read many counting books. Counting on Friends is unique in that it focuses on counting not only up but also down from five. The number five is reinforced with the extra game of finding groups of fives in the illustrations. I like that all the additional items are integral parts of the pond ecosystem, like insects and plants. The pictures by Diane Lucas are lifelike and focused on Frog and his friends on the log. The text and layout are also beneficial for young readers, with the number boldly highlighted in the text and on the page. Young nature enthusiasts will enjoy learning their numbers with Counting on Friends.
