One

This book isn't very long, but it has a lot of concepts packed into it. That can be a good thing or bad thing--or both--depending on the book. Sometimes too many concepts makes a book too busy, and the story gets lost. That doesn't happen here, though.

One is about Blue. [You can see him there, on the cover.] Red, who is also a dot, comes along and tries to bully Blue. The other colors aren't sure what to do, until One [as in the number one] comes along and shows the colors how to stand up for themselves.

So, reading this book to your child, you can talk about colors, numbers, and social issues like bullying, tolerance, and so on. Or whichever concept fits your child's level. Little Boy already knows colors and numbers, so we talked a little bit about the social stuff. I didn't think the book's message came across as too heavy-handed or sappy, like some children's books do.

One
Written and illustrated by Kathryn Otoshi
Age range*: 2-6
My rating: 4 stars [out of five]

*Age ranges are very flexible.

Full disclosure: I don't receive any compensation for reviewing children's books--the books are usually just checked out from the local library.