Canada 123

Written and illustrated by Paul Covello

HarperCollins Canada

978-1-44345-813-1

30 pp.

Ages 2-5

September 2017

For little ones who are only discovering that they live in Canada, Canada 123 will take them on a fun romp through the cultural and physical landscapes that define us.  It's fun and comprehensive and bold in colour and message.

From Canada 123 by Paul Covello

From the icy landscape of 0 zero degrees, each double-spread shows the number in numerical value and word with an appropriate Canada attribute.  There’s 1 flag, 2 official languages, 3 polar bears, 4 seasons, 5 farms (including crop, dairy and wind), 6 hockey players (diverse in gender and race), 7 geese (yes, Canadian), 8 Mounties (similarly diverse in gender, skin tone and head gear), 9 whales, and 10 sled dogs.  Then Paul Covello jumps to 25 fishing boats, 50 train cars, and 100 snowflakes (there truly are 100).  Finally, the back endpapers sum up Canada in 10 provinces, 3 territories, 1 country.

From Canada 123 by Paul Covello

Canada 123 has a little bit of everything that is Canada including urban and rural scenes, Arctic, Pacific and Maritime displays, and sights from across the country.  Paul Covello's illustrations are vibrant and upbeat and dramatic and the lines and textures smooth, perfect for our youngest non-readers and readers.  It's a great introduction to counting and Canada and is a worthwhile addition to my booklist of Canada picture books (which I'll now amend to include this Canada 123).

From Canada 123 by Paul Covello