Number Garden: Introducing First Numbers Through Nature

NUMBER GARDEN is a seek-and-find, lift-the-flap adventure centered around numbers. Each page features a scene with a flap to lift and some die-cut elements for some peek-throughs. The text asks readers to find and count certain elements, such as grasshoppers or plant pots, and other interactive questions ask children related things, such as who is doing an action on the page or what flowers they would like to grow.

What I loved: This is a fun, interactive board book that is great for toddlers and preschoolers. The level of questions will work best for older toddlers/preschoolers, as there is a bit of a search-and-find element on top of the counting. Great details and use of color make the illustrations a pleasure to visually explore, as they search among them.

The font is clear and easy to read throughout. The flaps and die-cut peek-throughs also add to the fun of exploring the book. The settings in nature around plants and gardens are really lovely and encourage children to explore the world around them.

What left me wanting more: As a small thing, some of the search-and-find elements can be a bit tricky, and it requires a lot of mental work to both hunt for the type of bug and count them. As there is no answer key, it can be tough to be sure readers are counting correctly/finding them all. That being said, the important element is the counting, so it isn't terribly important if they are all found, as long as the ones found are counted!

Final verdict: NUMBER GARDEN is an interactive exploration of nature and counting that will work well for older toddlers and preschoolers.