One Pup's Up

Chall, Marsha Wilson. 2010. ONE PUP’S UP. Ill. by Henry Cole. New York: Simon & Schuster. ISBN 9781416979609 [Suggested Grade Levels PreK-1]

REVIEW
Children count up and down in this delightful puppy picture book. Chall’s story begins when one pup wakes up from its nap and soon the others follow along in this charming counting book. As the puppies “bounce in a pudgy puppy race” throughout the story, young readers can practice counting up to 10 and then back down to 1 as the puppies wind down to their next naptime. The puppies don’t sleep for long though, “until…1 pup’s up” and the fun starts again.

Henry Cole’s bright watercolor and ink illustrations perfectly capture the rollicking rhythm of 10 “peppy puppies” as they frolic and play. Children will enjoy the pictures of the tumbling puppies and their rambunctious antics. The quiet napping scenes are washed with more muted colors to match the storyline, until the first puppy wakes and the bolder colors quickly return to the scene. Text and illustrations pair nicely in this engaging counting book that children will want to read frequently.

CONNECTIONS
Young readers can draw cumulative pictures and create their own picture books to practice counting up and down to 10. Children can also identify the rhyming words in the text and supply additional words for each rhyme to strengthen their early literacy skills.

RELATED BOOKS
Other counting books for young children:
Dahl, Michael. ONE GIANT SPLASH: A COUNTING BOOK ABOUT THE OCEAN. ISBN 9781404811225
Masurel, Claire. TEN DOGS IN THE WINDOW. ISBN 9780735813014
Root, Phyllis. ONE DUCK STUCK. ISBN 9780763615666

By Kimberly C. Kinnaird