Nancy Raines Day

What in the World?: Numbers in Nature Nancy Raines Day

Marc Notes: The natural world is full of sets of numbers: from birds' wings in twos and clover leaves in threes to deer hooves in fours and octopus arms in eights. This book uses playful rhyming text to explore these numerical sets in vibrant detail, ending with the stars in the sky - a number set too big to count!. Review Quotes: In this calm counting book, Day ("A Is for Alliguitar") numbers elements in nature: "What in the world comes one by one?/ A nose. A mouth. The moon. The sun." Day's rhyming text follows this formula from one to 10, detailing things that come "two by two" (birds' wings) and "in threes" (clover leaves and bees' segmented bodies). For "eight by eight," Day names "Octopus limbs that undulate," and in case anyone thinks first of spiders' legs, an author's note suggests each reader "look for a numerical set in the world around you." (Nine is a tough one, and the nine-spined stickleback fish fills the bill.) Cyrus ("The Voyage of Turtle Rex") pictures earth, water, and sky in serigraph-style digital art with limpid backdrops that resemble watercolor wash. His imagery--including a spread of a child dipping his toes in a tide pool where sea stars congregate--evokes pristine places in nature, even if his method gives the settings and creatures a curiously plasticky smoothness. Pleasant and diverting, this numerical list may well encourage readers to notice patterns in natural phenomena. Ages 4-8. "(Sept.) "--Publishers WeeklyReview Quotes: Day's simple rhyming text encourages children to count natural phenomena. From one moon and sun to stars in "sets too big to count," her examples give viewers opportunities to hone their skills. The large format encourages group participation. For the most part, the items to be counted are easily identified. Five arms on five sea stars and eight undulating octopus limbs are exceptionally clear. The seven colors of the rainbow shading from one to another will be harder to distinguish, and the child's crossed arms hide one finger. Yet, Cyrus's thoughtfully composed illustrations will reward repeated viewings, because featured objects recur in several places. For example, the three bees hovering in the lower corner of the spread featuring two bluebirds appear prominently when the page is turned. Sharp-eyed viewers will be rewarded by such discoveries, including the appearance of many plants and animals traced in the night sky among the stars. VERDICT This book can serve as a group introduction to encourage students to spot sets in the natural world and inspire one-on-one or independent viewers to spot the interconnections in the illustrations."-Kathy Piehl, Minnesota State University Library, Mankato"--School Library Journal "June 2015 "Review Quotes: This more-than-a-counting-book introduces things recognizable in numbered sets. The compact, rhyming narrative rhetorically asks readers to think about numbers in the world, beginning and ending with eyes on the sky: "What in the world comes one by one? / A nose. A mouth. The moon. / The sun." Young listeners who comprehend the world through the ways it can be measured will find this gripping and consoling. For little ones who like to enumerate their world, here's an affirmation that much of it can be counted, appreciated for its finitude, and observed in its varied, living parts. The counting goes up through 10, looking at birds, insects, sea creatures, and deer in the seaside forest. "Three" invites discussion about the parts of bees--their bodies comprise head, thorax, and abdomen, but they also have wings and antennae. The word--sets--that has been implied all along appears near the end: "And what comes in sets too big to count?" Here, on the last two double-page spreads, a starry sky bears the faint outlines of each numbered thing that has come before--our human eyes impose order on the nearly limitless stars. Cyrus' digitally rendered art uses solid dark outlines for objects and clear, rich tones for a feeling of spaciousness and peace. Textured, visually rich, and gracefully simple, this is a fine blend of informative poetry and illustration.--Kirkus "July 15, 2015 "Publisher Marketing: Discover nature by the numbers in this gorgeous, innovative counting book. The natural world is full of sets of numbers: from birds' wings in twos and clover leaves in threes to deer hooves in fours and octopus arms in eights. This book uses playful rhyming text to explore these numerical sets in vibrant detail, ending with the stars in the sky--a number set too big to count! Review Citations:

School Library Journal 06/01/2015 pg. 79 (EAN 9781481400602, Hardcover)

Publishers Weekly 07/13/2015 (EAN 9781481400602, Hardcover)

Kirkus Reviews 07/15/2015 (EAN 9781481400602, Hardcover)

Contributor Bio:  Day, Nancy Raines Nancy Raines Day loves sharing the wonders of the natural world with children through her picture books, which include "Way Down Below Deep" and "Piecing Earth and Sky Together". She lives on St. Simons Island in Georgia. Visit her at NancyRainesDay.com. Contributor Bio:  Cyrus, Kurt Kurt Cyrus has illustrated numerous acclaimed picture books celebrating the natural world, including "Mammoths on the Move" by Lisa Wheeler and his own "Tadpole Rex" and "Turtle Rex". Kurt lives with his wife in McMinnville, Oregon. Visit him at KurtCyrus.com.