Let's Add Up! (Big, Little Concepts #4)

8 + 2 becomes more than just numbers in this invitation to think outside the worksheet...Allenby turns arithmetic into play...The author supplies caregivers with further enrichment activities designed to stretch counting and classification skills at the end, and Zeng's expressively posed children are having so much fun throughout that readers will jump at the chance to join in... Teachers and parents can count on an enthusiastic response from younger audiences.

PreS-K--Simple math problems are lively and fun in this sweet picture book that shows all the different ways to add up to 10, then goes one step beyond, e.g., "6 pots + 4 pans = 10 dishes...or a feast!" The final equation shows how a group of nine friends can welcome one more and it's a party! The children are an ability-diverse group: two wear glasses, one uses a wheelchair, and one has a hearing aid. They have a range of hair textures and skin tones; in fact, a variety of browns, tans, and pinks are the dominant colors in the illustrations, which also feature a palette of muted primaries (red, blue, yellow). A note to adults suggests four ways to make learning foundational early math skills fun with a child. VERDICT Add this book to all early childhood collections, and watch the math come out. --Jenny Arch

Copyright 2022 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Praise for Let's Add Up!

2022 The Children's Book Council "November: Hot Off the Press" feature

"Join a group of young children as they add to ten in creative ways with this math-themed picture book....This is a great book for introducing or reinforcing early math skills at home or in a preschool classroom....Reviewer Rating: 5"—Children's Literature

"[Victoria Allenby] has the knack to put delight in discovery.... she takes children's thinking to another level....Let's Add Up! can be a useful addition to a childcare centre as well as a home collection. It will create opportunities for children and adults to have many shared experiences while giving children skills and learning that will last. Highly Recommended"—CM Magazine

"The author uses easy, simple words that are easy for young children to understand, but not so simple that it is a chore for a parent to read aloud. The illustrations are cute and vivid, and they provide that necessary step for visual learners...Let's Add Up! would be a great addition to any beginner reading/counter library - whether at home or a school setting." —YA Books Central

"[T]he perfect early learning book to get readers excited about numbers....Maggie Zeng's illustrations are inclusive and full of joy....There are very few math focused picture books available to readers and educators to foster not only a love of reading but also a love of numbers. Victoria Allenby has found a gap in the toolkit and has filled it with Let's Add Up!"—Storytime with Stephanie

"[A] frolicking romp counting to 10.... Fun to count and read (and then have a party!) with a Kindergarten class."—The International Educator

"5 out of 5 stars....This is such a cute book! It makes learning addition easy because each page is such a clear visual representation of the arithmetic that is happening.....I loved the adorable illustrations, and I really appreciated that the children on each page are from diverse ethnicities and abilities."Luminous Libro

"[A] fun concept that shows more than math skills. At the end of the book, Allenby offers four ways to make learning fun."—Book Time