A “fun new counting book” that directs readers to simply follow the instructions opens with counting a single apple: “Correct! One!” It moves on to counting something bigger (a single elephant) before a spread with two large whales and the question, “How many … sausages do you see?” (Answer: one, balanced atop the water vapor spouting from a blowhole.) With each page turn, a varying number of objects appear paired with a query, but the answer to each question is always “one.” The narrator insists that the reader will only ever count to one, until the penultimate spread when they flub the question (answer: two) and then makes amends by awarding the reader a prize (#1) for being such a good counter. The delight in this picture book is not only in the gimmick of repeatedly counting to “one,” but in the many obvious but unstated counting possibilities for the beginning mathematician found in the cheery illustrations. (Ages 2–4)

"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

Outsmart this bossy and hilarious picture book about counting!

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 one 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 all is not 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!

Featuring Stories Aloud audio-- scan the QR code on the back cover to listen to the book read aloud!