Ten Tiny Turtles CL

Cherrill's debut, a simple counting book, serves mainly as a vehicle for his rough-hewn but urbane paintings. Different creatures represent each numeral from one to ten, with rhyming text ranging from whimsical (``Five fluffy sheep pretending to be clouds'') to sheerly nonsensical (``Four bottles of pop for the chicken race winner''). The rhymes are uninspired (sun, fun; clouds, proud) and the book ends abruptly when the numerical list is exhausted. Yet the author ably diverts attention from the narrative's shortcomings. He paints each number in appealingly wide, watery brushstrokes that take up a quarter of each spread, and his intentionally stiff characters-from fierce fish to rabbits in urban gear-appear strangely hip. Hand-lettered text effectively complements the blocky illustrations and broad areas of solid color. Despite the limits of Cherrill's storytelling, his artwork has spirit to spare. Ages 2-7. (Mar.)