Emeritus Professor Margot Hillel OAM

One to Ten and Back Again Series

This delightful series is a welcome addition to Australian counting books. The creatures featured in each one are distinctively Australian and the illustrations and repetition of the creatures' names will reinforce recognition of each one. The activity pages at the end of each one reinforce the message that counting and sums are fun!

10 Naughty Numbats

The animals throughout are charming and exuberant and children will readily engage with their antics. Children will really enjoy the rhyme and rhythm of the text and the way each number moves across two pages to make us anticipate what is coming next and extending the count.

10 Bush Babies

Who doesn't love to see and read about our unique and endearing Australian animal babies? And here they are featured in this counting book which not only helps children count to ten but also learn how to add up. The babies' adventures gradually bring them together to make 10.

10 Lively Lorikeets

A counting book featuring Australian birds and what charming birds they are. Appearing on every page are the cheeky chattering, swooping, noisy lorikeets that are joined by other very Australian birds that will fascinate both Australian and overseas children alike.   Subtraction sums all through and extended in the activity pages at the end make this so much more than a counting book.

Amanda Cooper (Former CBCA Early Childhood Judge)

One to Ten and Back Again Series

There are many benefits in combining mathematics and literature and the series One to Ten and back Again highlights these benefits. The comfortable familiarity of a picture book provides young children with a structure in which to begin exploring mathematical concepts and make sense of them. Each of the books in this series gives a purpose and meaning to mathematics through the story it tells.

With beautifully illustrated Australian animals and their environment as the focus and a rhyming text that is interesting and humorous, young children will be keen to read these stories again and again. The interactive questions asked of the reader will help cement the mathematical concepts in each title.

The support material on offer is excellent and will reinforce learnings from each book.

Highly recommended for Preschool and Foundation students.

Rozanne Misso (Librarian & Retired Teacher)

‘One to Ten & Back Again’ is a delightful series of 3 books that will stimulate the imagination of toddlers and pre-schoolers. The engaging use of rhyme animated by beautiful, colourful illustrations using Australian birds and animals will appeal to both the child listening and the parent/adult reading. Activities at the end of each book reinforce the learning that is already happening, in many different ways, both obvious and subtle on each double page.

The first book ‘10 Naughty Numbats’ teaches counting from 1 to 10. The use of alliteration and rhyme will capture the child’s interest. This is further enhanced by the attention to detail in the illustrations and the clever use of the double page. I like the way in which, as well as supported by happy ‘Aussie’ birds or animals, the leaves at the top of the left-hand page also reflect the number on the right-hand page. Again, Number 6 ‘discovery’, also counts to 6; you will have to take a peek to see what I mean!

Books 2 & 3, ‘10 Bush Babies’ and ‘10 Lively Lorikeets’, complement Book 1, with addition and subtraction, from 1 to 10, respectively. The double page is again used effectively, to introduce ‘one more’ to the previous total, for Book 2 and ‘one less’ for Book 3. The colour and vibrancy of the illustrations, established in Book 1, continues in these books whilst being wonderfully different as well. The expressions achieved are sometimes mischievous, always appropriate and bound to invoke giggles! It is fun to add to 10 and then subtract.

What an enjoyable way for a child to be introduced to the magic of numeracy. I thoroughly recommend the ‘One to Ten & Back Again’ series.

MORE REVIEWS:

Romi Sharp - click here

Jill Smith - click here

Ashleigh Meikle - click here

Sarah Rasmussen - click here

Michelle Wanasundera - here

Janet Moore (Library Technician)

This is a beautiful set of children's books which will help in the education of our young people.

The reader would be instantly engaged with the books as each displays clear and colourful graphics, a curiosity about Australian fauna and arithmetic exercises that provide fun for a young mind.

Yvonne Rule (Early Childcare Educator)

10 Naughty Numbats

I love the flow of descriptive language.  The book maintains its simplicity and teaches children to count and also identify Australian animals.  It’s a great interactive tool for children parents and educators.  It has a sense of fun.

10 Bush Babies

This book engages children with repetition and rhyme. Children love to join in and pre-empt text. It provides a simple challenge and an opportunity for children to have a feeling of success. It is a simple story line which relates easily to small children.

 10 Lively Lorikeets

I love the use of familiar Australian birds to engage the children in a tale and learn simple subtraction. The rhyme engages and encourages the child to participate in the learning experience.

1 to 10 and Back Again Series

After 20 years working in a multicultural environment it has become obvious that in order for children to learn about our flora and fauna, we also have to teach parents at the same time about our flora and fauna.  These books provide a warm and fun environment to do this.