There are children to count on every two-page spread of this book about the numbers one to 10. Each spread features a simple activity: “One catches,” for instance, while, “Four push.” The illustrations are cleanly stylized cut paper. The Chinese written characters depicting the number and the action word appear to the right of each illustration. (Ages 4-7)

A colorful, playful counting book that introduces young children to Chinese characters and action words.

One little girl catches a butterfly. Two small swimmers stomp in puddles. Three young musicians bang their drums. The children in this action-packed counting book jump, dance, and run through the numbers from one to ten. 1, 2, 3, Go! is an exciting introduction to the simplest and most logical of the beautiful picture-words that are used in written Chinese.

Bright colors and bold shapes make the logic behind the picture-words clear. Readers learn that the characters for words such as "push" and "carry," which are actions that involve the use of hands, include the basic character for "hand." And the picture words for actions done with the feet, such as kicking and dancing, all include the basic character for "foot."

In her delicate cut-paper artwork Huy Voun Lee, the author and illustrator of three other highly-acclaimed books on Chinese character writing, has captured all the joy and energy of children at play.