Everybody Counts
You might remember that at the start of the year I wrote a blog post about my Most Anticipated Picture Books of 2020. And I've had the opportunity to read three of the original ten on the list. What I find interesting is that occasionally when I do those lists I am super excited to read the books and then I don't ever actually get a copy or when I do they disappoint. So I thought it would be interesting to look back on the ones that I got and see if they lived up to my expectations.
Much more than a counting book, much more than a seek and find book, and somehow it’s even more than the characters’ stories told through this book. There are lots of secrets to be covered within these pages.
So first it is actually a counting book. With numbers increasing in single increments to begin with and then jumping to larger numbers all the way from 0 to 7.5 billion.
It also an unusual seek and find book. With characters reappearing on each page. And questions at the back to help you spot them. You might even see that from the images I’ve shared here. The father and son who appear on the first few pages reappear over and over again. In fact their are 2768 different characters.
And it’s through that clever use of characters reappearing in different scenes that you start to see their stories unfold. The couple who meet in the library who go on to get married. The man who is glued to his phone on every scene (even when everyone else is gazing upon the wonders of the sky to see a comet streak across the sky). The pregnant lady whose bump gets bigger on each page and who turns or to be a twin who has twin babies! There’s even a character who collects cushions (just like BookBairn's grandma) This book is a test in observation (it also has a little guide at the back to help you get started).
But more than all that this books shows that everyone has their own lives and even more importantly everyone counts. This books is truly extraordinary and one of the most unique and incredible feats of illustration and storytelling that I have ever seen! It’s ingenious. And it certainly lives up expectations and is so much more.
Happy reading
Kim and the bairns x
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This book looks and sounds absolutely amazing. What a fantastic idea and beautifully put together. So clever. It must’ve taken ages to produce.
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