Book Review: How to Two |

Mon Cœur and I have been going to story time at the library, and recently we have begun to check out books to borrow and read. She helps choose the books, then she hands the library card to the librarian and helps carry the books home. I love it because the library has so many more books than we could ever think to own, with some that are beautifully illustrated, some that are beautifully written, and some that are just fun to check out…

This past week we checked out How to Two by David Soman. Check out the book trailer by Penguin Books here. There are so many things to love about this book:

1. The beautiful illustrations. Soman creates beautiful scenes using watercolor of kids playing on the playground. My favorite page? The page with seven kids splashing in a puddle, with their reflections.

2. The counting. This book counts up to ten, then back to one, and ends with a child in a mother’s lap reading a book together, thus the title “How to Two.” For each page up to ten, there are not just kids to count, but different animals too, such as squirrels, turtles, pigeons, and cardinals. It’s fun to count to kids, then try to find all the animals too.

3. The playfulness. Each page includes a new friend and a new game to play, from you-square to hide and seek to tag. It’s a lot of fun to talk about each page and the games with Mon Cœur.

4. The inclusiveness. With each new page comes a new friend to play, and throughout the story the kids find ways to include each other in play. It shows how kids can find ways to entertain themselves and also engage with each other when it’s just two or three friends and even when it’s nine or ten.

5. The opportunities for conversation. The simple, concise language and the illustrations of the animals and the kids gives plenty to observe and talk about. I love how on some pages there is a preview of the next game the kids will play, which gives an opportunity for readers to predict what will come next. Mon Cœur surprised me by saying “See-saw” when I asked her what she thought would happen next.