The Nickle Nackle Tree By Lynley Dodd

"In a Manglemunching Forest there's a Nickle Nackle tree,

Growing Nickle Nackle berries that are red as red can be.

I went to look last Monday; I was too surprised for words

On every twisty branch there was a jumble jam of birds.

One Ballyhoo bird, kicking up a din,... "

I had to start with a quote from this book, because the opening page says so much about how fantastic this book is! The words Lynley Dodd has uses and the names she has created for each type of bird is just fantastic! Not only are they fun to say and attempt to get your tongue around, they play with wonderful sound combinations that are great for children to hear. She also experiments with great alliteration which is a really good way for children to become familiar with letter sounds.

So for a book that is actually titled "a counting book, by Lynley Dodd" it is actually a book that teaches literacy just as beautifully!

Now let me get to the counting element of the book! The books layout really allows the child to focus on the individual number as it is introduced. With the illustration on one side and the single number and sentence on the other side, the children can count the number of birds, identify the written number, then relate the description of the birds to what they see within the illustrations.

I have often heard people say that this is one book they can read over and over again and never get tired of it! I second that notion!!!