Peep in the Deep: Sea Creature Counting Book

Author/Illustrator: R.M. Smith
Publisher: Clarence-Henry Books
Pubication Date: January 2012
ISBN: 9780615422978
Reviewed by: Ellen Feld
Review Date: January 1, 2012

There's no doubt that there are a myriad of counting books on the market today. Preschoolers have their choice of topics, from animals, to cars, and even stars and planets. For those with a taste for the mysteries of the deep, R.M. Smith's new Peep is the Deep is an excellent choice to keep readers entertained as they learn their numbers.

A young boy falls asleep and dreams that his bed is floating on the sea. Beneath him, deep in the sea are all sorts of creatures that he counts...

Swimming in with the tide
is 1 Goby, lone and wide-eyed.
The goby notes on cue
2 Seahorses bobbing into view.

The counting continues up through 11 Whales (it's a nice change not to stop at 10!) and we meet all sorts of wonderful sea animals from stingrays to swordfish and sharks. The simple text is in blue with each number and animal in a larger, red font with all letters capatilized - a perfect way to highlight the numbers for learning. Of course, to keep young readers engaged, a book needs not just interesting text but appealing artwork and this book doesn't disappoint. The sea creatures, all smiling, are bright and interesting, and make this book quite fun.

Quill says: Preschoolers will want to read this book again and again and will be counting in "no-time-flat."