Counting Crows

PreS-K--This book features a murder of crows (well, a dozen) and rhyming text. The pattern is set for counting the birds ("One, two, three/crows in a tree./Three roly-poly bugs, /three ripe mangoes./Three for the counting crows./Three, by jango!"). The poetry bounces along nicely until number 11, when the pattern changes to accommodate the rhyme. "One, two, three, four, /five, six, seven.../eight.../nine.../ten...eleven!" A cat comes along after 12 crows are introduced, and the birds fly off in their original groups. The text is accompanied by stylized sketchbook-type pencil drawings enhanced digitally with dark red stripes on the crows' shirts and one crow's scarf. The scrawny, playful birds do crowlike things, such as sit in a nest or on a telephone line and scavenge for food. The book features lots of white space and large, easy-to-read lettering. Children will enjoy counting the birds and their various food items. This simple story is a good storytime read-aloud if readers pay attention to the meter.--Martha Simpson, Stratford Library Association, CT

Writing a fresh counting rhyme calls for the poet to hear the numbers in a new way, and that's just what Appelt (When Otis Courted Mama) has done. She tweaks sequences, varies rhythms, and punctuates her lines with piquant sound words: "One, two, three/ crows in a tree./ Three roly-poly bugs,/ three ripe mangoes./ Three for the counting crows./ Three, by jango!" Dunlavey's (The Dandelion's Tale) inquisitive black crows are all beaks and legs, with loose-fitting red-and-white-striped sweaters; one fashion renegade wears a polka-dotted scarf. Their eyes bug out as they peer at unfamiliar objects: "Ten crunchy crickets,/ ten green peppers./ Ten for the counting crows./ Yep, yep, yeppers!" The crows' black beaks and red stripes stand out against the white pages, giving the spreads a crisp, pared-down appearance. By contrast, the trees, telephones poles, trash baskets, and other background features are rendered in delicate, gracefully elaborated pencil lines. When a cat materializes beneath a park bench, the startled birds depart in small groups, and Dunlavey's final images add a note of quiet reflection to this clever, innovative creation. Ages 3-7. Agency: Pippin Properties. (Mar.)