Amy Collen

This counting book is special. It's the kind of book that gives and gives and keeps parents from being bored! For really little kids it has many favorite, fun animals to look at and fun things to be shown for counting. For little learners, the counting has curiosity sparking info for parents to read to them. In the back, the authors have included more info about how kids can help endangered animals. There are QR codes for parents, teachers, and others to find out more about threatened species, the status of animals in the world . . . the "bigger picture" for young conservationalists. Naturalist Numbers is at its heart a creative counting book for kids to grow from as they revisit its pages. Kids love to spot the colorful numbers and count the "odd anatomy" as they learn about counting and animals.

Letters of the West is a little gem that’s much more than just an alphabet book. It is durable, but it is also a keepsake that parents can experience with their little ones. It is illustrated beautifully by Oregon scratchboard artist, John Maddin. This is an imaginative alphabet book that I love to give parents and their kiddos. Its pages feature handsomely made scratchboard drawings — you can feel how devoted the artist was to each setting. It’s full of animals and plants from the great northwest. It’s the most creative, artistically illustrated alphabet book I’ve come across. It’s a wonderful wee book!