Poèmes à compter

by Jorge Elías Luján

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Genres: Picture Books, Counting, Childrens, Fiction, Poetry, International

32 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2007

Reviews

[Sonia Gomes · Rating 5 out of 5]

What can be more beautiful than this?

Such wonderful imagination!

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

For all those children (and adults) who find the 1 frisky bunny, 2 bouncy bunnies counting books starting to get on their last nerve, this is just a treat. Love all the little side pictures, oar fish, sleeping elf, ants with tiny flag. The entire book just invites the imagination to come out and play. Excellent.

[Tim]

Interesting book and discussion that came up in class. This book is a counting book but as we discussed it in class, this may not be the best example of a counting book. We were a little confused because on some pages the number is not represented the way we would represent the number. As our professor said in class, this would be a great book for discussion and help our kids stretch their thinking about what each page is trying to tell us.

[Dani ❤️ Perspective of a Writer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Check out more picture book reviews @ Perspective of a Writer...

A poem based on the numbers from 1 to 10.

So counting books are a great source for budding artists to tap for things to draw... I saw this book and knew my nephew would have fun deciding which page he was going to pick!

The art is GORGEOUS!! The cover peacock is my favorite image but really each number is well imagined and quite cute with the fragment of the poem that it represents. The mini illustrations on the side with the words were so cute and constantly drew my nephew's eye. I could totally take 2 books and make wall hangings for a child's room... the second book I would break down for the little art to inset with the full page drawings. Yeah I LOVED THE ART THAT MUCH!

I normally DO NOT LIKE poems for picture books... but THIS ONE WORKED!! I loved it really! The words could be read alone on the page and make sense but also strung together made a cute poem that stands out too! There were a couple of complex words but not so many that it became a drag, so great balance...

My nephew quite took to the book... The drawings were quite compelling to him... not too many words but complex and simple enough! Really spot on! The only thing that may add to the book (really there is no improvement possible!) is to put the poem in the back in Spanish... Instead of the white pages with the light drawings being rather useless to a child the Spanish would have been fun for my nephew and I to read through (fun to do with bi-lingual books!)

BOTTOM LINE: GAH! An art book worth counting from...

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You can find this review and many others on my book blog @ Perspective of a Writer. See my picture book reviews in a special feature called Boo's Picture Gallery...

[Cheryl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Far from cliche, a quirky visual to counting. Loved the rough illustrations and creative look at numbers. (4 for a chair hanging by its legs.) Yes! Any easy way for children to remember numbers by how they often appear. I thought it was brilliant!

[Liese · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a v cool and v idiosyncratic picture book. Never seen anything like it! It is like seeing doodles from somebody's sketchbook that is sort of free association with numbers and symbolic representation. in Spanish.

[Rani · Rating 3 out of 5]

A counting book that draws from nature, culture and literature.

[Audrey's Picture Books · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is artistically beautiful and visually interesting. However, it's not much good as a counting or number book.

[Dora López · Rating 5 out of 5]

Un bello libro para niños para aprenderse los números con bellas imágenes poéticas.

[Jesúsa Díaz · Rating 2 out of 5]

no me agrado mucho, no es lo que busco hacer

[Robin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not your average counting book. Lujan's poem is brought to life by Isol's illustrations. Isol's creations at times reflect the number represented (the ducklings in the shape of a two, the three created by the crescent of the moon intersecting with the crescent of a tree branch) or show the number in a different way - the 8 of the hourglass. Her palette is muted, earthy tones which also gives a different feel. I especially love the last two page spread that looks like notebook paper with the numbers 0-10 and sketches of the ideas for the illustrations -- you can almost see the thought process on these pages, a glimpse into an artist's imagination, into creativity itself.

[Jacqui · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like this book because it is not like the "ypical" counting book we would encounter here in the US. Some of the numbers have a corresponding illustration for the text while others, such as for the number 9 in which the illustration is a balloon floating, do not. I think children will enjoy figuring out the connection to the number in the text. The illustrations in this book are able to stand alone.

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although this is a counting book, starting with 0 and moving all the way to 10, it's much more than simply that. Readers are encouraged to regard the world anew with each number and each illustration. This is accomplished in simple but enchanting ways; for instance, readers see the Three Musketeers and their reflections to represent the number six. The illustrations, created with ballpoint pen, colored pencil, and Photoshop, are intended to prompt some thinking on the part of readers.

[Samantha · Rating 4 out of 5]

An extremely creative counting book that covers numbers 1-10. Each number is represented in an imaginative way such as "0 for the way an egg stands." The entry for number 10 binds all the preceding numbers together in one daydream making for a neat and tidy ending.

Pen, colored pencil and digital illustrations use an earth-tone palette and resemble the work of a child creator in the most whimsical way.

Recommended for PreK-2.

[Ellen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm intrigued by this unusual counting book that illustrates the number represented on the page in unusual ways. I think this book will stretch the minds of younger children by asking them why the illustration was placed next to each number. Pairing this book with a more traditional number book would also initiate authentic discussion.

[Cheryl · Rating 2 out of 5]

Wow. To each his own, I guess. Random ugliness, in my own personal opinion. I do appreciate, however, that it starts at Zero. If you do like this, you should check out the Caldecott honor book Hosie's Alphabet.

[Trisha]

I love the creativity in this book, it allows for open dialogue about numbers, shapes and art. This would be good for students K-5 and could be used for different purposes in different grades.

[Alyson (Kid Lit Frenzy) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another one that might be a bit "lost in translation". Not sure if it adds anything to the world of counting books, but the illustrations of Brazilian artist Isol are very creative.

[Erin · Rating 2 out of 5]

This counting book uses completely random and odd things to count. That combination is usually one I enjoy. Not this time.

[Edward Sullivan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Surreal and quite appealing.

[Briony · Rating 3 out of 5]

A little strange. You have to use your imagination for this one.

[Maria Parisi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love the illustration, my kids found it funny although my 3 year old found some parts hard to understand, like the 3 musketeers being mirrored which makes them 6.

[Jodie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Unique poetry book about each number representing something. For example, the number 0 is the shape of an egg.

[Tracy Schillemore · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not a counting book that i works ever use. Didn't really make sense.

[Beth Kakuma-Depew · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great counting book - arty and European. Grounded in the counting, but making allusions to everything else from the world of stories.

[Kimberly · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not my cup of tea, though I'm sure it has an audience elsewhere.

[June · Rating 3 out of 5]

Surreal counting book. Not quite sure who to recommend it to, or the audience.

[Paula Hollohan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Creative for the K-3 age group but, perhaps, the numbers muddy the waters of an otherwise interesting poem with lovely art.

[Paula · Rating 4 out of 5]

Neato.

[Elin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gorgeous beautiful book!