A Pod of Orcas: A Seaside Counting Book

by Sheryl McFarlane, Kirsti Anne Wakelin (Illustrations)

There is so much to count at the seashore - one lighthouse, two freighters, three eagles - and on and on, until you get to ten. Then a pod of orcas explodes out of the sea - so many, you can't begin to add them up. But wait. At the end of the day, you can count from ten all the way down again, as ten sailboats, nine fishboats, eight beach umbrellas - and on and on - gradually settle for the evening or pack up and drift away.
A gentle and poetic counting book by the award-winning author of Waiting for the Whales and Jessie's Island, Sheryl McFarlane's A Pod of Orcas is just the right bedtime read for eager little counters. Artist Kirsti Wakelin makes her picture book debut with exquisite watercolor paintings that glow with dreamy light and warmth.
Parents and educators will appreciate the simple, yet effective design. Each number appears spelled out and in numerical form. And small pictorial "clues" will lead pre-readers to every counting subject.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Nonfiction

24 pages, Hardcover

First published July 12, 2002

Reviews

[Manybooks · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sheryl McFarlane's A Pod of Orcas: A Seaside Counting Book features and presents the numbers from one to ten, and then counts back from ten to one, displaying a sweetly poetic, but unfortunately also rather spare and slight text that while definitely more than adequate, is really and truly a trifle too simplistic to be considered in any manner spectacular (at least by me and for me). But that all having been said, the accompanying illustrations, well, they are truly absolutely and simply spectacular. Redolent of the colours, sights and light schemes of the ocean, the beach, the seashore, Kirsti Anne Wakelin's illustrations do not only complement Sheryl McFarlane's text, they really do massively augment and surpass it, leaving it, I am sorry to say, even a bit floundering (with a bit of a pun intended). And therefore, while young children will probably and indeed enjoy the simple numerically based poems as well as delight in practicing their numbers in a fun and ocean-themed manner, I do believe older children and perhaps even many adults will (and in my opinion should) be much more enchanted with and by the evocative seascapes. For Kirsti Anne Wakelin's illustrations not only show the sea, they are, they represent the sea in all its varying moods, colours and nuances (and looking at the pictures, I can in fact imagine not only the visual aesthetics of the sea, but also the sounds and smells of the ocean).

[Andrea · Rating 3 out of 5]

A lyrical, lovely illustrated counting book for small children.

[Jay · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book mirrors the tide - it counts up to 10 and back down to 1. Along the way boats go out and come back in, sand castles are built and melt, pirate children take a ride. Its watercolors - which are excellent at portraying light - track the progress of the day. Like many counting books the illustrations give the child the opportunity to count, e.g. "eight umbrellas." This book left me with the feeling of having spent a day at the beach and the sleepy sunny sandy exhaustion that goes with that.

[Carolyn]

Preschoolers will love the sailboats, harbour seals, sandcastles and magnificent orcas. Written and illustrated by residents of British Columbia, the gentle rhymes and striking illustrations encourage closer examination of a beautiful day at the seaside.

Highly recommended

24 pages and suitable for children 2 to 5

Included on our list of Summer, Camping and Beach Theme Picture Books
http://goo.gl/jnOlTP

[Isabelle Boucher · Rating 5 out of 5]

27392937/5 stars ONLY when narrated by Krianna Strowbridge. Perfect bedtime story - put me to sleep instantly

[Jbondandrews · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lovely counting book. Though I would have liked more orcas.

[Yasmin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fairly sweet and a lovely image of time spent at the beach. In the reverse numbers I had hoped we would have the orcas again. But this is very fine as it is.