First Friends: Numbers
First Friends: Shapes
Mk Smith Despres and Aya Watanabe
Barefoot Books

The setting for both these board books is a nursery or pre-school where we join a group of young children.
Numbers takes the little ones through their time there from fond farewells from parents/carers right up to collection time by the same adult. In so doing the children share their play activities both indoors and out, eat lunch together, visit the loo and then rest on their mats, play again and bid each other and the teachers, goodbye before once again embracing a waiting parent/carer. The rhyming text and inclusive illustrations introduce the numbers 1 to 10 as we go through the day and there’s an interactive element in that the final ‘Can you find?’ will send little ones back searching for and counting the labelled items depicted.

Similarly presented is Shapes. Herein we join the same children as they, and those sharing the book find various 2D shapes – circles, rectangles, squares (actually cubes though they are are all shown face on), diamonds, moons and hearts, triangles. These are used to make winged insects, a rainbow arc, then ovals and stars as they play with soft toys. Come time to clear up, everyone joins in before gathering together for a circle time.
Finally there’s a spread depicting the ten shapes encountered introduced with a ‘How many can you find … ?’challenge. I wonder how many youngsters will include in their shapes counting the squares, circles on clothes and eyes etc. depicted in the bright scenes.

A fun way to reinforce basic maths alongside the all important play experiences.