The Twelve Days of Springtime: A School Counting Book

decorated boards, 32 pp., $15.95

Brightly illustrated by Carey Armstrong-Ellis, this book for young readers depicts the activities of young children being taught how to garden by a harried, yet erstwhile teacher. Using the metaphor of the traditional “twelve days of Christmas” as a theme, the author provides a simple text based on springtime activities in the outdoors and in a classroom setting over a twelve-day period. Each illustration is fun-filled with frolicking children, animals, and insects, offering plenty of opportunities for counting.

— Marilyn K. Alaimo, garden writer and volunteer, Chicago Botanic Garden