Illustrated by Allan Sanders Written by AJ Wood
Published by Wide Eyed Editions ISBN: 9781786035363
Review by Derek Brazell
Illustrated by Allan Sanders, whose artwork is often packed with detail, A Number of Numbers is a search and find book that takes a number as the starting point for each of the 26 spreads, starting with a unicycle and ending with a very busy building site with 100 hard hats!
As is essential in a search and find book, there are plenty of incidental features for children to find, and the text encourages readers to search for certain hidden elements, from pumpkins to sandcastles. Sanders’ slightly muted palette of colours is appealing, and his clear line ensures that each aspect of the illustration is clear to see.
Adults may have to explain why there’s a giant gorilla climbing Big Ben’s tower, and who the Sherlock Holmes type character is, but plenty of contemporary elements are depicted, from Bluetooth headphones to coffee cups carried in the street. It’s a fun book, with enough challenges to keep little eyes scouring the pages for a good period of time.
