Author-photographer Kunhardt uses her own Labrador retriever puppies to illustrate numbers one through twelve. Each color photo's text makes an observation or asks a question (""How many puppies are in this big round kettle?""). Photo quality varies+there are some blurred shots+and the text veers into the cutesy, but the adorable and, in all but one instance, countable dogs make up for it. (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.

Youngsters can count from one to 12 with a bountiful brood of Labrador puppies featured in the single-page and full-spread photos of Let's Count the Puppies by Katharine Kunhardt. Seven irresistible puppies "play house" in a doll house; nine nestle in a tub while they await a bath. (Oddly, the same puppy photo is used for "waving hello" and "bye-bye.") Curious dog lovers can see what the pups look like all grown up in Kunhardt's closing pages "from my scrapbook." (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved

PreS-K-This counting book draws its audience in with irresistible full-color photos of adorable Labrador retrievers. The puppies play "follow the leader," crowd together around a bowl for supper, and gaze with soulful expressions at the camera. The images are paired with one or two brief sentences that highlight a featured number from 1 to 12 ("Look! 9 little puppies wait for a bath"); these words are superimposed over or printed around the numeral they describe, which appears in a pastel color. The concept is clearly presented through the photos, but the accompanying text is rather predictable. Emma Dodd's Dog's Colorful Day (Dutton, 2001), which has an entertaining story and presents both counting and colors, has even more child appeal.-Mary Elam, Forman Elementary School, Plano, TX (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.