One & Other Numbers: with Alexander Calder

by Alexander Calder (Artist)

Practice counting on some of the most famous sculptures in the world! Masterpieces by world-famous sculptor Alexander Calder are used to teach quantity in this artful, read-aloud board book. One & Other Numbers accompanies artworks with a conversational and relatable text that encourages readers to notice and count various aspects of the sculptures. Calder's playful abstract shapes add to the richness of the visual arc, allowing readers to build personal connections with the art. Children will not only grow more familiar with numbers and quantity, but also with the artist and his work. This fourth title in Phaidon's "First Concepts with Fine Artists" series includes a read-aloud "about the artist" at the end. Ages 1-3

Genres: Childrens, Art

30 pages, Board Book

Published October 30, 2017

About the author

American sculptor Alexander Calder created the mobile in Paris in the early 1930s and also produced immobile abstract sculptures, known as stabiles.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexand...

Reviews

[Audrey's Picture Books · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have very mixed feelings about this book. It's a total failure as a counting book. Counting books only work when each page has a very clear number of objects to count, and this book almost never does. Moreover, it would be impossible for a child to count with it independently. It doesn't work without the text, which is a very serious flaw in a counting book. Pre-literate children need to be able to enjoy counting books on their own. That's part of the point.

However...

As an art book, it's quite good. The sculptures are well-chosen, and they're skillfully sequenced. Moreover, the structure of the book really lets the art speak for itself. In places, it also draws the reader's attention to things you might not otherwise have noticed. The text is succinct, and it keeps its focus always on the art. As a visual introduction to Calder, it's quite good. But the text doesn't match that, because a visual introduction to Calder would be more appropriate for children in the early elementary grades. I have a hard time imagining preschoolers being terribly interested in abstract art. They're intensely visual, but they have a preference for depictions of things they can recognize in their daily lives (or, of course, photographs of animals).

All told, I think the best use of this book is entirely unintentional. It's unleveled, but I'd guess it to be at a DRA of around 14-16. It may not be a great counting book, but it's much more interesting than a lot of the books that children at that level are forced to read in school. If your school has a reading buddies program between older and younger children, this is the perfect book for your low readers to learn. It's got a simple, engaging text that would work well as a read-aloud, and the one-on-one interaction would make up for a lot of the book's flaws.

[Cindy Mitchell *Kiss the Book* · Rating 4 out of 5]

One and Other Numbers with Alexander Calder. BOARD BOOK. Phaidon, 2017. $10. 978071487510

Count as you enjoy looking at the great sculptures and mobiles by American sculptor, Alexander Calder. See the colors he used on his unique pieces of art.

Phaidon’s series, First Concepts with Fine Artists, is a great way to introduce children (of all ages) to fine art and the artists that created it. Calder’s mobiles are unique and fascinating pieces of art with a touch of whimsy. The last page includes a short biograph about the artist.

Pre-K, EL (K-3) – ADVISABLE. Samantha Hastings, MA, MLS.
https://kissthebook.blogspot.com/2018...

[Sue Mosher · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not my thing, I guess, but an interesting idea. The series title is "First Concepts with Fine Artists", which tells you what it's all about.

[Ellen · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a board book designed with impressing adult audiences rather than seriously considering the developmental stages of the intended audience.