Abigail makes counting, well, amusing for sure.
Catherine Rayner has created a wonderfully absorbing picture book, filled with stunning paintings of an array of animals.
Abigail – isn’t that a cute name for a giraffe? – loves to count. The problem is that she is a little limited in terms of counting material out in the savannah!
Ladybird ‘scuttled under a leave’ before she could finish counting her spots, cheetahs are ‘just too fast’, and there are so many flower it just becomes too confusing!
Abigail’s friends try to help her, with amusing consequences.
Rayner’s gentle narrative helps readers understand the concept of counting without becoming prescriptive.
… and there are those illustrations. Gorgeous watercolours capture her characters wonderfully, reflecting the warmth and enjoyment of Rayner’s narrative.
This will make a wonderful present for a young reader.
Abigail made the longlist for the 2014 CILIP awards.
