Teddy Bear Counting

This clever counting book with a squat, rectangular shape features 12 digitally rendered, gummylike bears who introduce themselves by their colors (red, yellow, green, and blue), and their ranks soon grow. “One red marches in to make five bears in all./ When yellow joins, too, six teddies sit tall.” The arithmetic becomes more complex, as the bears “choose partners,” which results in “six sets of two,” followed by “three sets of four,” demonstrating how 4+4+4 and 6+6 each add up to 12. The bears also form basic shapes, before bears begin to leave to explore subtraction. The rhymes are occasionally clunky, but the concepts are clearly illustrated, and readers will be drawn to the bears' chunky, glinting shapes. Ages 3–6. (Feb.)