How to Two

by David Soman

Overview

From the co-creator of the New York Times bestselling Ladybug Girl series comes a joyful counting book about inclusivity, play, and the thrill of making new friends--from one to ten and back again.

A quiet day at the playground turns into a boisterous park-wide adventure as one boy on the slide becomes two kids on the see-saw, then three jumping rope. Before long, ten new friends are playing like they've known one another forever.

With its deceptively simple text and a rich visual narrative, How to Two is a playful counting and reverse-counting concept book as well as an exuberant celebration of inclusive play, friendship, and community.

"No two ways about it--this one is a delight." --Kirkus
"A joyous celebration of play...Seamless...Diverse." --The Horn Book (starred review)
"Inviting and welcoming." --BCCB (starred review)
"Dynamic." --Booklist
"Exciting." --Publishers Weekly

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780525553526
Publisher:	Penguin Young Readers Group
Publication date:	03/19/2019
Sold by:	Penguin Group
Format:	eBook
Pages:	40
Lexile:	60L (what's this?)
File size:	186 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	3 - 5 Years

About the Author

David Soman hails from a family of artists, and has been drawing since he could walk (over to the kitchen walls to draw on them). He is the New York Times bestselling co-creator of the Ladybug Girl series with his wife Jacky Davis, as well as author and illustrator of Three Bears in a Boat and The Monster Next Door. David, Jacky, their children, and a big furry dog live in New York's Hudson Valley. When not working on picture books, shoveling snow, or chopping firewood, David is an instructor at the School of Visual Arts in New York City.

Editorial Reviews

01/07/2019

Soman (the Ladybug Girl series) imagines the ways that a growing number of children can play together by counting up to 10. “How to one,” shows a lone boy on a city playground slide, arms and legs flying. In “How to two,” the boy and a girl see-saw together. “How to three!” shows the two holding a jump rope for a third child, while “How to four?” introduces still another to a game of foursquare. The children represent an array of different skin tones and sizes, and they’re unfailingly kind to each other, inviting lonely newcomers to join their games. More is always better, and as the group gets bigger, the games grow more exciting. Soman’s watercolors find beauty in the landscape of play as the children regard a pond filled with red-eared sliders and splash joyously in puddles after a shower, their antics mirrored in the water while clouds scud overhead. A later spread shows the children going off with their parents and guardians—two men, single parents, a hijabi mother—until “How to one” begins anew. In kinetic illustrations, Soman champions diversity, inclusiveness, and the power of allowing children to play as they wish. Ages 3–5. (Mar.)

Publishers Weekly

A New York Public Library Best Book of the Year
A BCCB Blue Ribbons List Selection

“Exciting . . . In kinetic illustrations, Soman champions diversity, inclusiveness, and the power of allowing children to play as they wish.” —Publishers Weekly

★ "A counting book that could also serve as a set of inclusivity instructions. . . . Inviting . . . Seamless . . . Diverse . . . Friendly . . . Bright . . . When, at sunset, the adults arrive [at the playground] to collect their children, Soman depicts what appear to be single parents, same-sex couples, grandparents, and a mother in a hijab; it’s a wonderfully mixed group. . . . This joyous celebration of play closes with an invitation to spot ten creatures in the park; viewers will be happy to return to the beginning to find them.” —The Horn Book (starred review)

“Most valuable . . . are Soman's thoughtful, diverse depictions of the children and families . . . No two ways about it—this one is a delight.” —Kirkus

★ “Part counting book, part socialization celebration, and part story, this clever narrative . . . is an inviting and welcoming outing.” —BCCB (starred review)

"Celebrates the joy and energy of childhood . . . Dynamic . . . Children will easily see themselves in [these pages]." —Booklist

From the Publisher

04/01/2019

PreS-Gr 1—Soman provides a look at how children spend a day at the playground. He starts with one young boy who is having a wonderful time flying down the slide by himself. The simple text describes this image as "How to one." As the story develops, each page shows an increase in the number of children interacting together and the text remains simple: "How to two…. How to three" and so on until 10. The illustrations portray children of differing genders, skin color, hair color, and clothing type. As the numbers grow, the activities begin to change. While a seesaw is great for two, digging in the sand is much more suitable for five. The illustrations keep the story moving and allow for readers to have conversations about what is going on. After the book reaches 10, the original protagonist heads home alone and it begins again. This time, "How to two" depicts the boy and his mother or caregiver reading a story together. VERDICT Recommended for general purchase for most picture book collections. While many will see this as a counting book, it is also a delightful tribute to the sheer joy and innocence of childhood.—Kristen Todd-Wurm, Middle Country Public Library, NY

School Library Journal