Countablock — Christopher Franceschelli

Following on the heels of a successful abecedary, Countablock features thick pages cut into the shape of each numeral, creating a peek-through guessing game around the number form itself. One acorn becomes ... one oak tree! From snowmen to puddles and eggs to chicks, quantities are illustrated twice: both before and after their “transformations.” As children interact with the pages, they will familiarize themselves not only with the numbers 1-100 and associated quantities, but with each numeral's physicality -- angles, holes, and curves, both front and back. Die-cut numerals include 1-10, and 20-100 by tens. Illustrated by hip British design team Peskimo, this fresh take on the 1-2-3s encourages readers to manipulate numbers in a whole new way.

Note: illustrations are in the style of vintage screen prints, with imperfect variations in color and texture.