Anno’s Counting Book
by Mitsumasa Anno
Bibliographic citation:
Publisher: Harper Collins, ©1977
32 pages
ISBN 978-0-690-01287-3
Age recommendation: 3-7 years
Format: Picture Book/ Hardcover
Awards/Selection lists: Boston Globe Horn Book Award Nominee for Picture Book (1977)
Annotation: A counting book depicting the growth in a village and surrounding countryside during twelve months.
Review: "Every child is a natural mathematician, according to Mitsumasa Anno. Children start to count long before they learn their ABC's, for they are constantly comparing and classifying things and events they observe around them. As they try to bring sense and order into what they observe, they are actually performing basic mathematical feats." (Inside cover, Anno's Counting Book, 1977).
This special concept book approaches numbers in such a narrative that there's more than meets the eye. It begins with a bare, snowy, watercolored landscape that represents the number, zero. Number one is represented with single objects that appear in the landscape: a house; a lone skier; the sun; a bird in the sky; a bridge. The number two page depicts pairs of bunnies and running friends, two trucks and two buildings. Each page represents the next number, changing seasons, a more populated landscape and many other 'mathematical relationships as they occur in natural everyday living.' It's just as much of a story about a growing village as it is about the concept of numbers- and a book allows a new discovery upon each reading.
A wordless book encourage dialog and gentle discovery rather than factual truths that 1 comes before 2 and 9 comes before 10. When a child's interest is captured, their minds are much more open to learning and this book is a living lesson with beautiful, timeless illustration.
Themes/Issues: Stories without words/ Seasons/ Country Life/ Counting Book
Early Literacy Skill Value:
Print Motivation: Readers of this book will enjoy watching the seasons and landscape change over the 12 months of the year.
Vocabulary: Encourages vocabulary learning and discussion with parent through beautifully, detailed pictures filled with many different objects.
Print Awareness: No text, but a table on each page that provides a guide for how many units are represented in the picture.
Narrative Skills: Narrative skills are encouraged through interactive conversation that’s generated by picture-only content.
Phonological Awareness: N/A
Letter Knowledge: N/A
by Mitsumasa Anno
Bibliographic citation:
Publisher: Harper Collins, ©1977
32 pages
ISBN 978-0-690-01287-3
Age recommendation: 3-7 years
Format: Picture Book/ Hardcover
Awards/Selection lists: Boston Globe Horn Book Award Nominee for Picture Book (1977)
Annotation: A counting book depicting the growth in a village and surrounding countryside during twelve months.
Review: "Every child is a natural mathematician, according to Mitsumasa Anno. Children start to count long before they learn their ABC's, for they are constantly comparing and classifying things and events they observe around them. As they try to bring sense and order into what they observe, they are actually performing basic mathematical feats." (Inside cover, Anno's Counting Book, 1977).
This special concept book approaches numbers in such a narrative that there's more than meets the eye. It begins with a bare, snowy, watercolored landscape that represents the number, zero. Number one is represented with single objects that appear in the landscape: a house; a lone skier; the sun; a bird in the sky; a bridge. The number two page depicts pairs of bunnies and running friends, two trucks and two buildings. Each page represents the next number, changing seasons, a more populated landscape and many other 'mathematical relationships as they occur in natural everyday living.' It's just as much of a story about a growing village as it is about the concept of numbers- and a book allows a new discovery upon each reading.
A wordless book encourage dialog and gentle discovery rather than factual truths that 1 comes before 2 and 9 comes before 10. When a child's interest is captured, their minds are much more open to learning and this book is a living lesson with beautiful, timeless illustration.
Themes/Issues: Stories without words/ Seasons/ Country Life/ Counting Book
Early Literacy Skill Value:
Print Motivation: Readers of this book will enjoy watching the seasons and landscape change over the 12 months of the year.
Vocabulary: Encourages vocabulary learning and discussion with parent through beautifully, detailed pictures filled with many different objects.
Print Awareness: No text, but a table on each page that provides a guide for how many units are represented in the picture.
Narrative Skills: Narrative skills are encouraged through interactive conversation that’s generated by picture-only content.
Phonological Awareness: N/A
Letter Knowledge: N/A