One Hundred Is a Family

The politically correct concept driving this counting book is that families are not just parents and children; in fact, ``every ONE on earth'' can be a family ``caring for the fragile universe.'' Huang's clear watercolors, kid-friendly with their simple lines and happy squat characters, depict families ranging in size from one to ten, and then by tens to one hundred. Nuclear and extended families give way to those linked by community (``Sixty is a family sharing a neighborhood street'') and finally, by concern for the planet. Ryan's first book rates high on jolliness if low on subtlety. Ages 4-8. (Oct.)