10 Cats
Publisher: Two Hoots
A white-furred mummy cat has nine kittens: two are black, three have stripes and four have patches. Yet, while she sleeps, the naughty kittens get into three pots of paint: one red, one yellow and one blue.
Not only do the naughty kittens get red spots, yellow dots and blue blotches all over themselves (and poor sleeping mummy cat), as they gambol and scamper around in the paint, it starts to mix, making orange splotches, green splats and, finally, ten multicoloured cats who all need a bath.
Rather than just being a straightforward counting book, 10 Cats does something slightly different. Gravett begins by encouraging little ones to count who has patches and who has stripes, but then also introduces some basic maths – four plus three plus two plus one is ten – as well as the concept of primary colours, and what happens when we mix them.
Therefore, what looks like a simple picture book featuring cute kittens also becomes a helpful primer for little ones who are learning their numbers and colours – all as part of a fun story, too. Emily Gravett is an absolute master of what makes a great book for the under 5s, and this one is no exception. Perfect for nursery-aged children.
