3 out of 4 stars
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Livy Little: Learn to Count with Livy Little by Gabriella Gugliotta-Comes is a children’s picture book that explores the joy of counting. Livy Little is a little bear who loves to count basically anything - her toes, cats, butterflies, food items during a meal, etc. Her only frustration occurs when she miscounts and has to figure out what she did wrong. Follow along as Livy finds adventure in numbers throughout the day.
I enjoyed this short book as it introduces counting skills in an entertaining way. It shows kids the practical application of simple math in everyday life such as counting how many types of food you are eating or how many fingers you have. Livy is shown having fun which can encourage children to enjoy math from an early age.
The little bear’s enthusiasm is contagious. You can’t help but smile at the joy she exudes while counting. This is reinforced with the refrain, “What wonders can be done with numbers!” Even routine tasks are included; Livy counts the number of brushstrokes while brushing her hair and keeps track of how many chores she completes before bedtime. Kids might not find chores so bothersome if the tasks could be part of a counting game.
The story has an easy-to-understand plot and overall theme. However, there are a few word choices that seem too advanced for children, such as “profusely,” “privilege,” and “appeased.” Also, each page contains multiple paragraphs that are relatively long for this type of story. As a result, the book seems better suited as a read-aloud rather than a learn-to-read story. The breakfast scene, in particular, is busy and goes off track a bit with Livy’s introspective musings.
The author’s colorful and whimsical illustrations are a good fit with the narrative. The only issue I had is that a few of the pages contain more than one type of item Livy is counting. For example, one page discusses a wide range of items that Livy is adding within each classification – cats, mice, sashes, fingers, toes, eyelashes, hats, and doormats. I think having so many items on the same page can be overwhelming at a young age. Also, the fingers, toes, and eyelashes are not emphasized in the picture; instead, the bear is just shown standing in the middle of the room surrounded by the cats, hats, and other items.
This book has earned a rating of 3 out of 4 stars. It is a fun, educational read that introduces simple counting skills to the younger set. The sometimes busy storyline and advanced words prevent me from giving the highest rating. I would recommend the story to children ages 2-6. Hopefully, the author will consider writing more books featuring such a cheerful, appealing character.
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Livy Little
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