How to Count to One - by Caspar Salmon

Book Synopsis

A hilariously irreverent picture book about counting that children will love to outsmart!

You know how to count, right? GREAT! There are LOTS of fun things to count in this book: whales, baboons, rainbows, pyramids . . .There's just rule. You must ONLY ever count to ONE. So don't even about THINK bigger numbers. OK?!

Get ready to show off your skills in this fun new counting book! But not everything is as it seems . . . is this book really only about counting to "ONE?" Because there are SO MANY fun things that you could count. But wait -maybe there's a way to outsmart the book . . . and count all the way up to 100!

A fun and interactive read-aloud experience, perfect for fans of B. J. Novak's international bestseller The Book With No Pictures.

From the Back Cover

You know how to count, right?
GREAT! There are LOADS of fun things to count in this book.
Whales, baboons, rainbows, pyramids . . .

There's just ONE rule.
You must ONLY ever count to ONE.

So don't even THINK about bigger numbers. OK?!

A hilariously irreverent book about counting that children will love to outsmart.

Review Quotes

If Monty Python had written a picture book, it might have been How to Count to ONE (and Don't Even THINK About Bigger Numbers!). Brits Caspar Salmon and Matt Hunt seem to be channeling the legendary English comedy troupe's use of devilishly deadpan silliness to suit a higher purpose: teaching kids how to count.

--Nell Beram, Shelf Awareness

PreS-K-Counting concept books are a dime a dozen, but this one has a twist-readers only have to count to one! While that might sound easy enough, the narrator has tricks up his sleeve. Despite the "nice and easy" warm-up pages with just one apple and one elephant, further spreads include several items, such as dinosaurs, ducks, and whales. Readers learn to look and listen closely as the narrator doesn't ask to count everything on the page-just one specific item. The -interactive experience will keep toddlers, preschoolers, and even kindergartners on their toes and will make for a very fun read-aloud. The very last page gives children the opportunity to stretch their skills and count all the way to 100. -

VERDICT An outright -delight for picture book collections.

--School Library Journal

A witty challenge using reverse psychology: Count only one item on each spread.
An unseen narrator presents one red apple, then one gray elephant. But now there are two large blue whales. Nevertheless, the text firmly instructs us to count only the one sausage held aloft by the whale's spout. Bowls of red, green, and yellow soup tempt us to cry "three," but the task is to count the one fly in the green soup. With deadpan encouragement, the narrator admires our progress: "You are really getting the hang of counting to ONE." But then we are warned that "This is a bit more tricky" There are four objects-one dinosaur in an astronaut helmet, one molded pink jello, one flaming meteor, and one pair of tighty whiteys, all floating in starry space. Pick one and count it! On another spread, 14 animals (including seven green snakes) and a few insects are arranged across a spread, with categorical instructions: "Using your counting skills, please count the giraffe." Rashly, the narrator blurts out, "Hey, what number comes after ONE?" but quickly retracts the question: "I'm kidding! Don't say it!" Finally, the last spread offers a challenge: Count the 100 objects arranged. Salmon manages a difficult task-a wholly original counting book that will have little ones gleefully defying the narrator's instructions. Delightful, deceptively simple, collagelike illustrations show mastery of color and clever composition. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Catnip for teachers or anyone leading a storytime and sure to tickle kids. (Concept book. 2-5)

--Kirkus Reviews (Starred)

It's notoriously difficult to create a funny picture book, but Salmon and Hunt make it look easy in this very basic guide to counting. The title itself will amuse young children. As the pages turn, the unseen narrator, though trying hard to reassure kids, makes things more confusing and, to compensate, develops a new rule: "The answer will always be ONE." But even that is challenging when there are seven assorted animals on a double-page spread but only one giraffe. And then he adds, "Hey, what number comes after one?" Given kids' delight in shouting out answers, they will inevitably respond before he can say, "Just kidding! Don't say it!" His final gaffe leads him to offer an apology, a trophy for the audience, and the question "Would you like to count it?" The upbeat mixed-media illustrations, digitally enhanced collages of hand-drawn and painted elements, begin with simplicity and restraint: a red apple with a green leaf against a solid white background. But as the narrator becomes more agitated, the pictures become increasingly crowded with small pictures of things that must not be counted. First published in England in 2022, this delightfully silly counting book is sure to leave children laughing wherever it is read aloud.

[starred review]

--Carolyn Phelan, Booklist

This book is ONE part counting book, ONE part search-and-find and ONE part silliness. I can totally see this being a book that grows with little ones, from early counting days to well beyond, but one thing is for sure: you'll be giggling no matter what age you are!

[Highly Recommending]

--Belmont Books

An outright ­delight for picture book collections.--Carrie Voliva, School Library Journal

Just as we once screamed at a pigeon not to drive the bus, we now, with similar glee, take on Salmon as he commands us not to count past one.--Amy Alznauer, New York Times

This amusing book has a unique concept: readers are asked to only count ONE of each image on the page. . . The wonderfully entertaining artwork makes all of the animals look goofily funny, and the text addresses the reader directly, making them pretty much have to count everything.--Stephanie Tournas, Youth Services Book Review

This book is ONE part counting book, ONE part search-and-find and ONE part silliness. I can totally see this being a book that grows with little ones, from early counting days to well beyond, but one thing is for sure: you'll be giggling no matter what age you are!--Tildy Lutts, Belmont Books

Via shape-driven characters and washes of bright color, illustrations by Hunt (the Little People, Big Dreams series) exude a mid-century modern playfulness. But what drives the book forward is the comic gold of an authority figure gone wild: "What?! Did you think you would learn to count to big numbers like a HUNDRED?! WELL, NO!" --Publishers Weekly

"Catnip for teachers or anyone leading a storytime and sure to tickle kids."--Kirkus (Starred)

"This delightfully silly counting book is sure to leave children laughing wherever it is read aloud."--Carolyn Phelan, Booklist (Starred)

About the Author

Caspar Salmon (Author)
Caspar Salmon is a writer who grew up in picturesque France. He writes and broadcasts about this and that for a living-mostly movies-and enjoys seeing friends, swimming, and reading. He has two gorgeous children and lives in leafy north London, England.

Matt Hunt (Illustrator)
Matt Hunt was born in Redditch, England. Starting out as a fine artist, he graduated from the Birmingham School of Art, and, from these roots, developed a love for children's illustration. Matt works in mixed media, utilizing paint, pens, crayons, and digital methods. He's influenced by old movies, classic illustration, cartoons, and books. He currently shares a house with his wife Hayley and two cats.