Counting Our Way to Maine

by Maggie Smith

Beginning readers learn to count up to twenty in this lively tale of travel as a family journeys to their summer vaction home in Maine. Reprint.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Mathematics, Summer

40 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1995

About the author

1965-

Reviews

[Ashlyn Ewert · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think that this would be a good book to help children practice counting. The can go throughout the book and count the item that the page is talking about. This would be a fun and engaging way for students to practice or learn to count. I enjoyed the illustrations because of their detail.

[Melanie Ellsworth · Rating 5 out of 5]

A family fave

[Noah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I saw a helmet.

[Latrice Green · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great for Pre-K and Kinders

[Abigail Wingard]

All the kids I’ve read this to love it. There’s a funny naked baby running away from his parents on page 1, and on every page there are more things to count! What’s not to love?

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

Counting Our Way To Maine by Maggie Smith is a cute counting book that tells one family's story of their vacation in Maine.

They count up to 20, including 1 baby, 2 dogs, 3 bicycles, 4 taxis, 5 smokestacks, 6 bathroom stops, 7 ice cream cones, 8 mountains, 9 deer, 10 slugs, 11 sand castles, 12 lobster pots, 13 boats, 14 buoys, 15 boxes of blueberries, 16 blueberry pies, 17 mushrooms, 18 mosquito bites, 19 clams, and 20 fireflies. Mention is made of climbing a steep hill, digging clams, and watching the tide creep in.

The illustrations are watercolor, gouache and pastel with ink and pencil line. The pictures show a family of five with two dogs and some very Maine-like scenes depicted. There are many humorous touches and a yellow rubber duckie is shown on many pages.

For ages 2 & a half to 6, Maine, vacations, family, dogs, and for fans of Maggie Smith.

[Dolly · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a fun book that counts objects as a family travels from the city to the Maine coast. We brought this book along on our own trip up to Maine and read it at our grandmother's house in Maine. She thought it was cute, but I mentioned that I've noticed that most of the books that feature Maine as a setting often take place on the coast, whereas we were inland, by a lake. Still, it was fun to read this book during our trip and I enjoyed listening to Gram read it aloud again.

The narrative is fairly short and the colorful pictures depict the numbered items. This book is probably best suited for preschoolers and early elementary school-age children. But we enjoyed reading this book together as much for the experience as for the book itself.

[jacky · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not perfect for our family, but a very nice book. Its a counting book that goes up to 20, which is higher than most books go. The numbers are clearly there, but blend well with the tale of getting to Maine and the vacation there. Lots of fun things counted. Some of them are very expected (like lobster pots and blueberries), but others are just as Maine and less expected, like mosquito bites. Nice illustrations. A perfect book to take home as a vacation souvenir.

[Nadine · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a great way to help children practice their counting up 20! Imagine going on a road trip and having your children count the number of things they see along the way, like 13 cows or 8 birds flying or 8 pumps at a gas station. This is a wonderful way to help children to begin to love Math, especially because we are using everyday experiences that will begin to build on as they move toward addition and subtraction with larger numbers.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absolutely delightful counting book detailing one family's summer vacation in Maine. From packing one baby, six bathroom stops en route, 10 slugs on the cottage steps, and baking 16 blueberrie pies (why? Why to use up the 15 boxes of blueberries they picked, of course!)this book should be distributed by the state of Maine - surely it would more than double their tourist business.

[Michaelea Kennedy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought that this book was a lot of fun to read. It takes you on a trip with a family and lets you count along as the trip goes on. It is would be good for a lower age classroom to help them learn to count. The illustrations were a lot of fun as well. They told their own story as the words told another, and I really enjoyed reading this book.

[Katie Brown · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is all about counting up to 20. It is about a family that takes a trip to Maine and they count all the different things they do. It is a cute story for students beginning to count. It list things up to 20.

[Frank Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book primarily focuses on counting up. I like how student can relate the story to a real life experience invloving counting, adventure and family. I also think iit is helpful that the text is somewhat interactive which increases student interest.

[Madison Butler · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think this book is perfect for young readers that need help with counting! This book is a fun family book that teaches children how to count but also takes them on an adventure with another family. I think it is a good book for families to read with their children.

[Gretchen Geser · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful counting book, especially if you have a connection to Maine. Much to look at in every picture and lots of humor.

[Sarah A · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun counting book to 20 on a road trip to Maine. A different and fun very American way to approach it!!

[D · Rating 4 out of 5]

Delightful story and great artwork:)

[Hoang]

i want to read it now

[Marlene]

Ever take a vacation with your family? Was it wonderful, smooth, and extremely relaxing? Or was it filled with mishaps, forgotten items, and the occasional wet sandwich? I love this book for just those reasons. As the family counts their way on vacation to Maine, some interesting things happen in the background. Watch the illustrations and enjoy someone else's vacation.