View source for Number Circus: 1 - 10 and Back Again! by Kveta Pacovska

{{infobox2
|title=Number Circus: 1 - 10 and Back Again!
|author=Kveta Pacovska
|reviewer=Ruth Ng
|genre=For Sharing
|summary=An unusual counting book with lots of different things to lift and touch and see.  It's an unusual style, and quite expensive for a counting book, so you might want to try before you buy. 
|rating=3
|buy=Maybe
|borrow=Yes
|pages=28
|publisher=Minedition
|date=February 2011
|isbn=978-9881915290
|website=http://www.facebook.com/pages/Kveta-Pacovska/31561666970
|aznuk=9881915295
|aznus=9881915295
|cover=9881915295
}}

This is an unusual counting book which doesn't have a storyline, or the usual simplified numbers and related illustrations.  It seems, instead, like a piece of art with pictures becoming numbers, or numbers becoming pictures.  It's very interactive, with lots to see and do throughout the book.

The focus here really is on the artwork because the occasional sentences on the pages didn't seem to make much sense.  There's no discernible storyline running through the book, and to be honest, by the time you've finished counting things or lifting flaps, poking and prodding, you've forgotten what the words said anyway!

I liked the design of the book because there is a lot for children to do.  There are holes to poke fingers through, flaps to lift, raised images to feel,  fold out strips of numbers to lift out and view, a mirror to look in and of course pictures to count.  The flaps seem fairly sturdy so should survive grabby toddlers, although the fold-out strip is a little more fragile and looked, to me, like the part that would quickly get ripped out.  On the whole, though it's a well-made book and should last repeated readings.  I thought the raised parts on pages were interesting to touch and feel, and the different holes in pages, revealing parts of the images beneath them were well thought out.

However, in spite of the interesting design, I found that I wasn't terribly keen on this book.  It's drawn in a very unusual style, which does make it interesting, but I felt that it lost coherency and overcomplicated the simple act of counting to ten.  I struggled to follow it, and wouldn't want to use it with a baby when teaching numbers.  Saying that though my four-year-old had a lot of fun with it, and perhaps it is more suited to older children who already know their numbers and so can follow the mixed up, upside-down numbers without too many problems and just enjoy all the different interactive parts.  But it seems like an odd sort of counting book, to me, if you already need to know how to count to properly enjoy it!

Stylish parents might like to invest in it as an unusual gift, but really I'd suggest you borrow it, to try it out first, just in case it isn't to your liking.

I'd like to thank the publishers for sending a copy to The Bookbag.

Further reading suggestion: For more counting fun try: [[Ten Friendly Frogs by Sally Hobson]], or [[The Number Garden by Sara Pinto]].  We think you might like [[When I Dream of 123 by Oakley Graham]], [[Peekaboo 1 2 3 by Gareth Lucas]] and [[The World-Famous Book of Magical Numbers by Sarah Goodreau]]. 

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