123 Cats: A Cat Counting Book

by Leslea Newman, Isabella Kung (Illustrator)

Overview

Count on cats as a fun way to learn numbers—in rhyming spreads with expressive appeal for animal lovers of all ages.

Cat Number One has nothing to do . . .
Until she makes friends with Cat Number Two.

Meet cats from one to a dozen in this adorable board book introduction to counting with a feline twist. Author Lesléa Newman draws on her love for (and familiarity with) cats in a concept book for the very young, while illustrator Isabella Kung captures the animals’ movements and gestures in a way that is sure to delight.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781536209952
Publisher:	Candlewick Press
Publication date:	04/29/2021
Pages:	26
Sales rank:	423,868
Product dimensions:	7.00(w) x 7.00(h) x 0.61(d)
Age Range:	2 - 5 Years

About the Author

Lesléa Newman is the author of more than seventy books for children, including the Candlewick titles Heather Has Two Mommies; Ketzel, the Cat Who Composed; and October Mourning: A Song for Matthew Shepard, a Stonewall Honor Book. She lives in Massachusetts.

Isabella Kung is an illustrator, author, instructor, and professional cat cuddler whose illustrations have been recognized by the Society of Illustrators, Spectrum Fantasy Art, 3x3, Creative Quarterly, and SCBWI. She grew up in Hong Kong and now lives in San Francisco.

Editorial Reviews

2021-10-27
Meow! Meet and count a dozen charismatic kitties.

A captivating selection of frolicking felines participate in familiar, kitty-centric activities, such as napping, snuggling, and snacking. Each double-page spread adds another kitty until No. 12, a tiny cream-colored kitten, closes the party—because he “knows that cats come better by the dozen!” Though the rhyming text is easy enough to read aloud, some stanzas feel safe and a bit stale: “Cat Number Six feels like she’s in heaven / when she’s snuggled up with Cat Number Seven.” However, beautiful illustrations, rendered via sumi ink on watercolors, elevate the verses. Each cat—from a fluffy ginger tabby to a slinky Sphynx—is imbued with a unique look and personality. Cats tugging on toys, using stairs as a playground, or grooming each other brim with charm, and going from Cat No. 1 to a cramped cavalcade of 12 of them easily demonstrates number progression. Although Newman took few risks in the text of this book, she goes the opposite direction in ABC Cats, giving readers delightful, vocabulary-rich lines that beg to be read with panache: “Elegant cat with dignified pose / Finicky cat turns up her nose.” An oversized letter is paired with a demonstrative cat (S, for instance, introduces a wary, eyes-wide “scaredy-cat”), and all 26 entries in the cattery are purr-fectly entrancing.

Cat lovers will adore this beguiling board book. (Board book. 1-6)

Kirkus Reviews