1, 2, 3 to the Zoo

Eric Carle returns to toddlers' bookshelves with a delightful counting book. A train driver chugs along in his colourful steam train and as the pages unfold, young readers discover that each trailer holds one or more animals heading for the zoo, accompanied by a cheeky little mouse.

An enormous elephant starts the procession, swiftly followed by two hippos with cavernous mouths, three graceful giraffes, four fearsome lions, five quizzical bears, six toothy crocodiles, seven happy-slappy seals, eight mischievous monkeys, nine sinuous snakes and ten dazzling birds. Happily, they all arrive safely at the zoo.

Glorious two-dimensional illustrations in soft sponge-prints bring the animals to life and encourage counting without the need for words. This is a book to treasure.