123 Counting on Community, written by Annemarie Riley Guertin and illustrated by Cory Reid, is a caring and inclusive book written about a community, and how they come together to clean and repair a park. I love how the children and adults in this book worked together, how the book talked about composting and gardening, and how the illustrations were inclusive of children with various needs. I look forward to sharing this book with the preschools that I work with during our Gardening Study! Thank you to NetGalley and to the author, publisher, and illustrator of this book for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I loved it! The book is both amazing to read and to count. It turns counting into fun. I am sure lots of children would be delighted. Cannot wait to read and count with my daugthers.

Thank you to the publisher and author for this copy in exchange for an honest review. This board book was a colorful and engaging leading experience for toddlers. The images depicted a diverse community working together toward a common good.

Thank you to NetGalley for this e- copy of 1,2,3 Counting on Community by Annemarie Guertin in exchange for a honest review.This is a perfect book to teach preschoolers and early readers about the importance of a community working together for a common goal.Great for teaching numbers and also as a bedtime read.

‘123 Counting on Community’ by Annemarie Guertin is a charming children's book that combines counting with a sense of community. With a delightful plot and endearing illustrations, this book aims to teach young readers both numbers and the importance of being part of a community.

Plot: ★★★★☆
The plot of ‘123 Counting on Community’ is quite cute. It takes readers through a journey of counting various community members and activities, making learning numbers fun and interactive. The story subtly emphasises the value of community and togetherness, making it both educational and heartwarming.

Character: ★★★☆☆
The characters depicted in the book are quite sweet. While there isn't much character development due to the nature of the book, the characters are endearing and relatable for young readers. They effectively convey the theme of community and cooperation, adding a layer of warmth to the counting exercises.

Illustrations: ★★★★☆
The illustrations in ‘123 Counting on Community’ are cute and engaging. They are colourful and vibrant, capturing the essence of a lively community. Each page is filled with delightful details that children will enjoy exploring, making the counting activities more engaging.

Engagement: ★★★☆☆
This book has average engagement. While it is a pleasant read, it doesn't have the same level of excitement or adventure as some other children's books. However, its focus on counting and community is likely to keep young readers interested, especially when read aloud.

Readability: ★★★☆☆
The readability of ‘123 Counting on Community’ is alright. The language is simple and accessible for young readers, making it suitable for early learners. The text is well-spaced and easy to follow, but it may not be as captivating as more narrative-driven children's books.

Enjoyment: ★★★☆☆
This is an averagely enjoyable read. While it may not be the most thrilling book for children, its educational content and charming illustrations make it a worthwhile addition to any child's bookshelf. It offers a gentle and pleasant way to learn about numbers and community.

‘123 Counting on Community’ by Annemarie Guertin is a sweet and educational children's book that teaches counting in the context of community life. With its cute plot, sweet characters, and engaging illustrations, it provides a pleasant reading experience for young children. Although it has average engagement and readability, it is a valuable tool for early learning and fostering a sense of community in young readers.

A cute numbers book with the importance of helping and community - "count" me in! Beautiful artwork.

A great book for little readers.

I appreciate the publisher and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for a review.

This counting book was absolutely adorable. The numerical progression was accompanied by a logical progression of actions to help restore and improve a messy park, and brought in great ideas of cleaning and planting that can explored with small children. The illustrations are beautiful and diverse which was wonderful to see as well. Many thanks to the author and Netgalley for the chance to review this title!

This book is a combination of counting and community pride. The neighborhood comes together to rescue an abandoned park by raking, cleaning, painting and planting a community vegetable garden. Illustrations are cute and colorful. Great book for learning counters and readers.

This board book is a delight! Beginning with a dilapidated and run down playground the story moves, step by step, towards the creation of an accessible and colorful community space. The children and adults work and celebrate together on page, and a caregiver could spin a variety of stories for a lap sitting child as they too explore the space and the details of the transformation together. A perfect addition to any library collection, whether the intended focus is on the counting or on the community building. Thank you to NetGalley for access to this arc.

I loved how this book combined counting with learning about community. I wondered about some of the vocabulary being too advanced for little learners: constructing and compost. However, a quick vocabulary lesson prior to reading this book would be helpful. It would also be great to follow up this book with a trip outside to the playground to spend some time looking for ways to beautify the community.

i think this book is really simple, but perfect for toddlers who are learning to count or young children who can count, but are learning about what community means. i like how this book is colourful and the illustrations are really pretty. thank you!

An adorable board book perfect for toddlers and preschoolers. The illustrations are lovely and the text is geared towards little ones.

This is so simple and so sweet. It would be great to use for all elementary, but especially littles, to talk about community work and improvement. I love all the different kinds of people being represented. I will definitely be adding this to my list for the new school year!

Thank you to NetGalley along with the publisher for the eARC! This is an adorable counting book about how we can help in our community- specifically with cleaning up a park. The pictures are simple yet colorful. I like how you can clearly count the items being talked about on the page. I also like that the numbers and text are in the same spot throughout the book. A great community read for very young readers!

I received an electronic ARC from Familius through NetGalley.
A counting book for toddlers and preschoolers that emphasizes taking care of their community. People of all ages gather together to clean up and build a neighborhood park and community garden. The colorful illustrations will hold readers' attention. I appreciate the larger size font for younger readers to follow. Terrific read for young families.

This was such a cute read . My kids loved finding and counting the items on each page . Would be excellent for a preK or Kindergarten classroom to practice number recognition, counting and even highlight community service opportunities .

This well-spirited counting revision gives us a community plot, where a run-down amenity is being repaired, painted, propped up and prepped by a growing number of people. So we get the natural progression of the story involved, the increase in numbers and the whole 'let's get it built!' aspect of the people converting the run-down to the wow. If anything lets it down it is a combination of two things – the staid image, where nothing about the framing is allowed to change at all dramatically, and the one instance where we do zoom in. This is to such little effect you feel the whole needed to be more dynamic than it is, so we're not left to see the in-between-frame repairs to the slide's hut's roof, as if by chance, but allowed to see this as a place of change and progression. As it is such forward thinking things are probably far too low-key – we don't even get the big jamboree re-opening of the place. Three and a half stars, perhaps.

A charming board book exploring community pride, togetherness, and number sequencing.
Numbered 1-10, the story follows a community as they clean up their local park. It begins with “1 park” and thoughtfully ends with “10 cups of lemonade” shared by everyone who helped with the project. It is an approachable introduction to community clean-up and environmental guardianship suitable for the youngest of readers. The illustrations are colorful, visually pleasing, and effectively capture a diverse and inclusive community.
Thank you NetGalley and Familius for the opportunity to read this electronic ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts!

This is an adorable board book that is perfect for preschoolers and young K-2 students. As an ESL/ELL teacher, this would be a wonderful resource for teaching students learning English about numbers and also community/community helpers.

This was such a cute counting book!

We loved the simple text, and the focus around the steps and people involved in fixing up a local park. It’s a great way to introduce children to the idea of community, and chipping in together.

The illustrations matched the text well, and were fun to count along to. There was great diverse representation in the images, making this a good conversation started with kiddos.

Thank you Familius and NetGalley for a copy of this book. Opinions expressed are my own.