Two is not a lot of pennies, but it is a lot of smelly skunks. Ten is not a lot of popcorn pieces, but it is a lot of chomping dinosaurs. One thousand is not a lot of grains of sand, but it is a lot of hot air balloons!
While Joey’s mom explains the context of numbers in vivid ways, Joey’s imagination transforms their ordinary car ride into a magical odyssey through a land of make-believe.
Is Two a Lot? is a wonderfully charming and authentic exchange between mother and child. Annie Watson’s story makes numbers tangible, and Rebecca Evans’s illustrations bring them to life.
full color
“Looking for a great intro the world of numbers and math? Is 2 A Lot, written by Annie Watson and illustrated by Rebecca Evans, aims to help kids understand numbers in the context of things they see every day. Head out on a road trip while a young kiddo asks his mom questions like, "Is one thousand a lot?" Mom's answer? "One thousand is not a lot of grains of sand, but it is a lot of hot air balloons!"”
- Amber Guetebier, Red Tricycle
“...What is “a lot” to you, personally? The idea of turning that kind of discussion with a child into a book with a plot can be intimidating. Watson and Evans’ solution seems to be to inject a little time travel into the proceedings. A boy and his mother are driving and he’s peppering her with questions about numbers’ worths. Eventually she comes up with concrete examples about why a number cannot be said to always be big or small. Stuff like, “TWO is not a lot of pennies, but TWO is a lot of smelly skunks.” There’s a practicality to the book that’s refreshing. ”
- Betsy Bird, FUSE #8 Production
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A picture book that accurately depicts how children think about numbers and values in a fun and engaging way.
Readers will want to count the number of skunks, cowboys, and other imaginative creatures and objects Joey and his mother discuss throughout the book, and they will enjoy seeing various characters from the places they visit pile into the trunk of the station wagon.
Children who are learning the meaning of value and numbers will both learn from this book, with its whimsical examples of what "a lot" means, and find much to enjoy. (Picture book. 4-6)
”- Kirkus Reviews
