365: How to Count a Year

by Miranda Paul, Julien Chung (Illustrations)

Explore different numerical breakdowns of a year in this playful concept picture book that introduces numbers big and small in creative ways, all adding up to a wonderful 365 days!

A year can feel like a really, really long time. One trip around the sun. Twelve months. Fifty-two weeks. 365 days. 31,535,000 seconds. It seems like forever, so let’s break it down! A year is made up of 365 “Good mornings.” It’s fifty-two Friday night movie nights, twelve calendar backgrounds, and one special birthday wish. Time passes in so many fun and exciting ways—come explore them!

Genres: Picture Books, Mathematics, Nonfiction, Stem, Counting, Childrens

48 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 26, 2023

About the author

Miranda Paul has worked as a teacher, volunteer zookeeper, and freelance writer--among other things. She is passionate about creating stories for young readers that inspire, entertain, and broaden horizons. Miranda is also a thrill-seeker, and one of her bravest moments involved reciting poetry from inside a crocodile pit. (Yikes!)

In addition to being a picture book author, Miranda is a team member of We Need Diverse Books™ and a volunteer for the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI). Learn more at www.mirandapaul.com.

Reviews

[Sarah BT · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great concept book for talking about calendars, groupings, and how we count time each year.

[Amy Goldstein · Rating 5 out of 5]

First week back at school in January and this was the perfect read aloud! Asking "what is a year?" has many correct answers. This book illustrates and explains some you think of and some you don't!
This really got the kiddos thinking and asking great questions. The illustrations really support the mathematical aspects as they showed arrays and patterns. I love how the book brought it to the children's level by explaining that their birthday comes but once a year. The fun facts at the end were awesome!

[Bethe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Energetic illustrations depict how to count a year by all forms of measurement, standard (weeks months days) and non standard like clean undies and spilled movie popcorn nights or Sunday baths then it goes to hours and minutes that might blow your mind
Back matter has calendar info and other ways to creatively count your year

[Sherry Fellores · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fun way to celebrate the calendar year in big and small ways! This book breaks down a year into easy ways that kids will understand. The illustrations are colorful and playful. Great addition To any home and school library!

[Roben · Rating 4 out of 5]

It seems like the older I get, the faster time flies by. Not so when you are young - time appears to move in slow motion. It seems to take forever for birthdays to arrive! This book will help the reader understand a bit more about the passage of time and how it can be broken down into typical units and also some not so typical units. We usually think of days and weeks and months. But this book also shares hours and minutes and seconds. Plus - How many trips to the bathroom in a year? How many farts? You can see why kids will enjoy this one!
The book also discusses the role played by the sun and the moon in determining our calendar. Lots to learn here - this is one that will be read more than once.

[June · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun introduction to the large and small numbers that can make up a year. Has some (body) humor that will make it popular with the younger crowd. 365 days is also mentioned as "and, hopefully, 365 clean pairs of underwear."

Maybe a 4.5. Backmatter includes "What is a Calendar?" and ways to creatively count your year. Including how much time the average person spends doing various things in a year, including bathroom time: "25o hours (that's 2,500 pee-pees and more than 5,000 farts - not all in the bathroom, though!)"

This would have been great for the grandmother request for her grandson that liked body humor - Chicken Butt!

[Barbra · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book brilliantly explores everyday happenings in the world within a year, breaking down events into weeks, months, and one year. It also explores the world of math by further calculating a year into hours, minutes, and seconds. It is filled with fun drawings, humour, and activities children can relate to. Young readers will learn and laugh and be inspired to think about how many times they see a sunset, say good morning, and put on clean underwear. A wonderful way to discuss time and look at every second of life.

[Katie Lawrence · Rating 4 out of 5]

A brilliant, fun, way to look at different ways to count to a year. The illustrations are charming and Paul came up with some very fun ways to get kids thinking about calendars and the passage of time. Could be a great classroom book for learning about calendars/units of time. I had no ideas we all spend an estimated 250 hours in the bathroom each year hahaha. I do wish there was one page of resources to learn more fun facts.

[Patricia N. McLaughlin · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a creative counting-book introduction to the concept of time in kid-friendly ways! Adorable illustrations use simple, everyday examples to show what is meant by a year, week, month, day, hour, minute, and a second, plus how to keep track of time on a calendar and why we celebrate special annual cycles like birthdays. End pages include an explanation of a calendar and suggestions for “creatively counting the year.” Bravo!

[Tina Hoggatt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Delightful take on both counting and counting time, with easily followed progressions in measures - days to weeks to months in the one big year, as marked by birthdays, of course. Wonderful graphic illustrations by Julien Chung.

[GS Dachslove · Rating 4 out of 5]

Explores time and the calendar and large numbers

[Edward Sullivan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun concept book that introduces numbers big and small in creative ways by showing different numerical breakdowns of a year.

[Lyla · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a fun book; it had a good story and nice illustrations.

[Maureen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Although it gave all the relevant information, it's not a book I'd choose to reinforce learning.

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good concept book on measurements of time. The underwater bit was funny, and a bit overdone.

[Elaine Fultz, Teacher Librarian, MLS · Rating 5 out of 5]

Creative ways to count a year - from the days and minutes to the sleep-ins and birthday parties.

[Pam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Clever and humorous way to teach the math in counting a year's worth of time.

[Leslie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a clever book to illustrate a year! Will try reading this at my preschool Storytime this week.

[Tiffany · Rating 3 out of 5]

A cute picture book that breaks a year into days, weeks, months, seasons, etc.

[Lillian · Rating 4 out of 5]

imaginative

[Diana · Rating 4 out of 5]

We enjoyed this book about the many ways to count a year. The illustrations were cute.
It would be a perfect New Year book.

[L M · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful celebration of time, joyfully illustrated to show the passing increments of months, weeks, etc as experienced but a child and a friendly lion

Could provide a great launching point for kids exploring units of time and considering counting things they do each year