One Sheep, Two Sheep: A Book of Collective Nouns

First published in Australia, this charming small-format book puts a friendly twist on collective nouns, with rosy-cheeked children dressed in homespun animal costumes that usually involve cardboard contraptions, headbands with ears attached, and brightly patterned apparel. Each spread uses a variation on a single counting pattern: "One lion, two lions, a pride of lions." Other groups include a "mob" of kangaroos, a "parade" of elephants, and a "kaleidoscope" of butterflies. The compositions are quite similar%E2%80%94Ainslie doesn't do much with the potential fun of phrases like a "knot" of frogs or "mischief" of mice%E2%80%94but the children exude cheerfulness as they mimic the animals' movements, emphasizing the spirit of pretend play. Ages 3%E2%80%935. (Aug.)