ALA Booklist (Thu Apr 01 00:00:00 CST 2004)

Artist Tom Slaughter, whose first book was 1 2 3 (2003), follows up with a picture book written by his wife. The concepts of numbers and counting can be simply presented for preschoolers, but the differences between one, some, and many are more subjective and more difficult to present. This book attempts to get the ideas across through just a few words and stylish, graphic art. The paper-cut collages, reminiscent of artwork by Matisse, are notable for their brilliant colors, clean compositions, and strong, simple forms. One bright yellow pear is shown against a tomato-red background. Turn the page, and several pears almost touching one another appear with the word some. Facing, a green-leaved tree dotted with yellow pear shapes is accompanied by the word many . A handsome way to talk about concepts.

Horn Book (Tue Aug 01 00:00:00 CDT 2006)

Realistic animal illustrations are linked together by simple text. In back pages, thumbnails are accompanied by more detailed descriptions. While the text explains that not all marsupials have pouches, the vague definition given of non-placental mammals doesn't make clear enough how the ones that don't have pouches are still considered marsupials. Websites. Bib., glos.

Kirkus Reviews

A combination concept and counting book, this would work better if it were one or the other. The concepts of "some," "many," and "a few" are introduced to young readers but without the repetition that would make them truly stick in the minds of children. One pear stands alone, three pears are some, while a tree full of pears represents many. A "few" is presented as being more than two—it might be three, four, or more. From this point, the text diverges into a counting book. Once reaching ten, the story asks the never-answered questions, "is ten some? / is ten many?" Slaughter's bright, bold paper cuts are reminiscent of Matisse and are a good bridge to the world of modern art. Too bad it tries to be so many things. (Picture book. 2-5)

Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

The paper-over-board One Some Many by Marthe Jocelyn, with a similar design to artist Tom Slaughter's 1 2 3, offers new insight into numerical concepts: """"A few is more than two./ A few is three./ Or four./ Or more."""" Slaughter's vivid modern art paper collages illustrate a variety of objects including pears, fish and pencils. .

School Library Journal (Tue Jun 01 00:00:00 CDT 2004)

PreS-K This counting book presents the concepts of "some," "many," "few," and "more" through a rhyming text and stunning, boldly colored paper cuts. A listing of the numbers from 1 to 10 is interrupted by phrases such as "two/a few/a few is more than two/a few is three/or four." Slaughter has recycled some of the images he created for 1 2 3 (Tundra, 2003), and the pictures here are once again deceptively simple yet elegant. However, this effort has a more playful mood as the artist visually explains the ideas expressed in the text. For example, on consecutive pages, "one" is depicted as a single pear, "some" by a group of three pears, "many" by a pear tree full of fruit, and "hardly any" by the remains of an eaten pear. (Older students may want to study this title to learn some of the tenets of basic design technique.) A unique concept book that will appeal to young children. Rachel G. Payne, Brooklyn Public Library, NY