cover image One Spotted Giraffe: A Counting Pop-up Book

One Spotted Giraffe: A Counting Pop-up Book

Petr Horacek. Candlewick, $15.99 (20p) ISBN 978-0-7636-6157-1

From "One spotted giraffe" to "Ten swimming fish," Horacek offers a subdued counting book with pop-up %E2%80%A8elements tucked into the side of each spread. Horacek keeps the backgrounds simple, focusing on the brightly colored animals (including three cheetahs, four snakes, and six chameleons). A thin panel at the left or right lifts to show a whimsical pop-up number, created from the featured animal (helpfully, tubby pandas are basically already shaped like eights). While the pop-ups are so unobtrusive they're almost unnecessary, Horacek's paintings brim with personality. Ages 2%E2%80%93up. (Sept.)