I Know Numbers!

This cheerful picture book is less about counting and more about exploring the concept of numbers and the many ways they are used, from telling time to keeping score and creating home addresses so mail gets to the right place. Though numbers themselves don’t really change, some things have since this book was first published in Japan in 1985: “These numbers are used to call someone,” writes Gomi as a woman punches digits on a corded telephone; nearby, an elderly man pushes the number 4 on the front of a TV set to change the channel. But dated technology doesn’t detract from this book’s charm in the slightest: the text, while direct, is infectiously enthusiastic, and Gomi’s characteristically vivid images clearly illustrate just how multifaceted numbers are. Ages 3–5. (Sept.)