Little ones will be counting their luck when they get their hands on two delightful board books packed with the beguiling artwork of Alison Jay. Jay, a graduate of the London College of Printing and the critically acclaimed illustrator of many books for children, combines words and her distinctive artwork on each page to create a colourful introduction to familiar words that will appeal to both children and their parents. With simple, bright illustrations of endearing animals and everyday objects that the very youngest children will recognise, Jay draws on nursery rhymes and fairy tales to reinforce early concepts. In Alison Jay's 123, youngsters join in a fairy-tale adventure, counting from one to ten as they follow the dreams of a sleeping girl, meet favourite characters from fairy tales and folk stories, and then make the journey back again. Along the way, parents can help their little ones to count the frog princes, tot up the adorable gingerbread men and see if they can find the number of matching dwarves. In First Words, there are more wonderful illustrations for children and grown-ups to share as each page creates an introduction to familiar words. Find the sand castle, enjoy the red kite flying over the sea and marvel at the fisherman's hat with its row of jaunty bait round the top. Fabulously illustrated and robust enough to withstand the onslaught of little hands, these clever books are the ideal introduction to the concept of words and counting. * Lancashire Evening Post *
In 123, Alison Jay uses a fairytale landscape for counting as a girl dreams that she travels upon a golden goose to different fairytale scenes. Each new spread features a number from 1 to 10, and then counts back down to 1 again. Observant readers will notice that on every spread, the artist includes other sets of the number featured. She also leaves a visual clue that suggests the next spread and perhaps beyond. -- Jill Bennett * Red Reading Hub *