Fish, Swish! Splash, Dash!: Counting Round and Round

From SLJ June 2007

Joy Fleishhacker, School Library Journal -- School Library Journal, 6/25/2007

MACDONALD, Suse. Fish, Swish! Splash, Dash!: Counting Round and Round. illus. by author. unpaged. S & S/Little Simon. June 2007. Tr $8.99. ISBN 978-1-4169-3605-3. LC number unavailable.

PreS-Gr 2–Vivid hues, clean visual elements, and simple language combine to create a successful and eye-catching concept book. The rhyming text begins: "Follow the leader/and count with me/the fish that live/beneath the sea…." Sturdy pages with see-through die-cuts depict an increasing number of colorful aquatic species on each successive spread. When youngsters reach the book's end ("here come 10…"), they are invited to "Follow the leader and do it again!" (the phrase is printed across the page bottom and curves up the right-hand margin, making it natural for readers to rotate the book and hold it upside down). The same pictures in reverse order count down from "Ten fish" to "One fish left," where the volume can be turned once more to start all over again. MacDonald's "round and round" design works well, especially since the underwater illustrations can be viewed from either direction. The layouts are varied, with an appealing mix of shapes and colors. A fun book for beginning counters that will be enjoyed again and again.

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