How to Two

Soman (the Ladybug Girl series) imagines the ways that a growing number of children can play together by counting up to 10. "How to one," shows a lone boy on a city playground slide, arms and legs flying. In "How to two," the boy and a girl see-saw together. "How to three!" shows the two holding a jump rope for a third child, while "How to four?" introduces still another to a game of foursquare. The children represent an array of different skin tones and sizes, and they're unfailingly kind to each other, inviting lonely newcomers to join their games. More is always better, and as the group gets bigger, the games grow more exciting. Soman's watercolors find beauty in the landscape of play as the children regard a pond filled with red-eared sliders and splash joyously in puddles after a shower, their antics mirrored in the water while clouds scud overhead. A later spread shows the children going off with their parents and guardians--two men, single parents, a hijabi mother--until "How to one" begins anew. In kinetic illustrations, Soman champions diversity, inclusiveness, and the power of allowing children to play as they wish. Ages 3-5. (Mar.)

PreS-Gr 1—Soman provides a look at how children spend a day at the playground. He starts with one young boy who is having a wonderful time flying down the slide by himself. The simple text describes this image as "How to one." As the story develops, each page shows an increase in the number of children interacting together and the text remains simple: "How to two.... How to three" and so on until 10. The illustrations portray children of differing genders, skin color, hair color, and clothing type. As the numbers grow, the activities begin to change. While a seesaw is great for two, digging in the sand is much more suitable for five. The illustrations keep the story moving and allow for readers to have conversations about what is going on. After the book reaches 10, the original protagonist heads home alone and it begins again. This time, "How to two" depicts the boy and his mother or caregiver reading a story together. VERDICT Recommended for general purchase for most picture book collections. While many will see this as a counting book, it is also a delightful tribute to the sheer joy and innocence of childhood.—Kristen Todd-Wurm, Middle Country Public Library, NY