Note: I received a copy of this book from the publisher at ALA Annual 2019. ( )

Just had to get it because mom and dad love Shakespeare, but not my favorite of the series. It is too much of a stretch for me to even say "5 friends" for "five" when they include the murderer and victim (Tybalt and Mercutio), and particularly when the bitter rivalry is such an important theme in the story. And I have a quibble with "nine streets and bridges" because it is confusing for counting purposes. But the illustrations are beautiful as always, and it is a joy to give my little one his first introduction to my favorite playwright. ( )

A great book for adults who want to share their love of Shakespeare with a little one. This counting book uses important bits and pieces of the well known play Romeo and Juliet. While it does not tell the story, it is a good introduction for toddlers and preschoolers. ( )

Try not to judge me too hard, but I fell in love with these adorable baby board books while babysitting this past weekend, and I was deeply saddened that the children I had knew how to count and stuff. I'm a sucker for things like this, too, even though I don't want to be, and the sampler-esque feel to the Austen cover and the paper doll-style art of both books just charmed me from the start.

So, how nuanced can a counting book be, right? About half of each book is specific to the story (four marriage proposals, from the Austen, for example, or five friends, from the Shakespeare) and the other half is general cutesy kid-ness (seven horses or eight musicians, whatever). (And yes, I did pose my pictures, only because my table was a crumb-laden mess and how pretty would that have been??) (And finally, my favorite page from the Austen book: ten.) Adorbs! So, not a ton of substance, but a bunch of cute, which works for me.

(They're coming out with Jane Eyre, too. I kind of can't wait.)

I judge their tag line, however: "Baby Lit™ is a fashionable way to introduce your baby to the world of classic literature." Really? Fashionable? I didn't know there was an unfashionable way to introduce my baby to classic lit, but then again, I'm not the trendy one of my circle. ( )