Let’s Count Fish! adds up to more than just another toddler number book

Yeah, you need another counting book for your toddler like you need small pieces of LEGO bricks under your bare feet. I think we have four books that help teach the basic numbers. Each book does it differently; some have sentences on the way to telling a story while others show the roman numeral in addition to objects that the kids can count. Let’s Count Fish! is more like the later book, but it does so with such charm you’ll want to read it to your kids just so that you can look at the retro-inspired images.

The art is big, happy and fills the page with color. I know the fish in the book don’t glow in the dark, but there are some fish, like the funny fish big and small on page eight that you’ll be tempted to try it with.  Let’s Count Fish!’s art is aligned with vintage touches here and there that remind adult readers of the 70’s or art deco 50’s. However, just when you want to lump this in with some hipster baby counting book you realize that there are so many modern flares in her work that you’re not sure how to describe it.

Let’s Count Fish! is a nice book to read to toddlers who are going to sleep. At just over 20 pages children will meet lots of fish, all of whom have different colors and a variety of shapes. This also plays well when it comes to a good-night book because you can ask kids to find the fish of a certain color, who has spots, number of teeth or any other factor.

It’s got a hardcover front with traditional stock paper inside. This is not a board book, so you don’t want to let your really small kids play with it by themselves. When our kids were 2 years old and reading books like this we would either read it to them, or let them turn the pages while they look at the pictures.  There’s a fine line between allowing children independence and letting them ruin books. We’ve taped up the pages to dozens of books that have been met by overzealous young readers.

Let’s Count Fish! is a book that your preschoolers will enjoy looking at for lots of reasons.  From the happy fish to the bright colors they’ll enjoy telling the story of the book internally, all the while you’re reading to them. The art and loose, happy words are also the reason that parents won’t mind-and will actually enjoy going through with them.