A Million Dots

Minimalist design meets math in this mind-boggling visualization of numbers up to more than one million. Starting with one tree--a large green circle stacked atop a small brown rectangle--then two; subsequent spreads double numbers as a page turn reveals four apples on the branch, then eight on the ground beneath their autumnal parents. From 16 on, the arboreal thread is dropped as disparate images help readers envisage the sums: a ladybug sports 16 spots, a glass of effervescent drink fizzes with 128 bubbles, and 256 freckles span a face. As the numerical figures increase in size, the dots become smaller until a single page cannot contain them: the final two numbers (the last count is 1,048,576) require large gatefolds to display enough minute, pixel-like dots, an effect as astonishing as it is efficient. Likely to be a hit among educators, Volker's volume succeeds at engagingly merging art and counting. Ages 4-12. (Sept.)

Gr 1-4--What does a million dots really look like? Beginning with the number one, a single, large dot fills the page. One plus one is two, so next, a second dot joins the fun. Two plus two means that four dots then appear. Each page adds to the previous page's total to require increasingly more dots in each image. Once the number reaches one million, one page is no longer sufficient to hold all the dots, so the image stretches beyond the bounds of the book itself. While counting books are common in the libraries of young children, this particular book is memorable and unique. On each page, the number shown is represented in three ways--digits, written language, and dot form--to enhance comprehension. Instead of climbing from one to 10 in a linear fashion, adding larger numbers together means that children are exposed to numbers they might not otherwise encounter. The illustrations are comprised of simple shapes, clearly representing objects such as trees, boats, and buildings. Readers will recognize the images and be able to count each of the dots present if they so desire. As the numbers get larger, the dots become smaller and more space is required to accommodate them all; this leads to the final page stretching nearly an adult's arm's length once it is fully unfolded. VERDICT This is an unusual and profound addition to children's book collections emphasizing the concepts of math and design.--Mary Lanni, formerly at Denver Public Library