One White Sail

Set against brilliant white pages, dazzling watercolors leap to meet the eye in this colorful addition to the lengthy roster of counting books. The Caribbean flavor shimmers throughout--from the ``baking hot sun'' to the ``pale island moon''; from ``nine steel drums singing a soft sweet tune'' to the rhythm of the spare but carefully worded text. Solid swathes of bright hues invite thoughts of summer and festivals. Each page is a still life--an island scene captured and held, yet brimming over with inner vitality. The objects to be counted are familiar--girls, boys, houses, windows--but the exotic setting adds an air of excitement and depth. Questions will surely arise--why do the girls carry bread on their heads? how are the steel drums played?--thus giving this work an added dimension. This joyous collaboration seems to swing to its own tune as it draws the reader back to the glowing artwork. Ages 2-4. (Apr.)