Two

K-Gr 2—The first stanza of the song "Make new friends, but keep the old. One is silver and the other is gold" is, literally, the theme of Otoshi's third book about numbers. Two and One are best friends until Three comes along and disrupts the status quo. Two feels terrible about being left out, but Three convinces One that "odds" are better than the rest," and some verbal teasing ensues. Other odd and even numbers join in the escalating argument until Zero steps in and convinces Two to put a halt to the escalating division. One, Two, and Three apologize for the way they've been acting, and all the numbers, from Zero to Nine, decide it's a good thing to be open to all potential friends. Some lines rhyme, but others don't, which can create a problem in the reading cadence the first time around. This tale, featuring colorful numbers placed on large white pages, presents some clever wordplay and has a moral that will be best understood by children if the book is shared with an adult.—Maryann H. Owen, Children's Literature Specialist, Mt. Pleasant, WI