Warthogs in the Kitchen: A Sloppy Counting Book

by Pamela Duncan Edwards, Henry Cole

A delightful counting book from the creators of Livingstone Mouse features a group of eight messy warthogs who attempt to bake cupcakes and manage to create some hilarious fun along the way.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Mathematics, Counting, Cooking, Number

24 pages, Hardcover

First published May 16, 1998

About the author

Pamela Duncan Edwards is a British-born children's author living in the United States. She has written over forty picture books published in both the U.S. and the U.K., known for their playful language and engaging storytelling.

Reviews

[Jay Nichols · Rating 4 out of 5]

ETEC 545 Online B Reviews
Jay Nichols
Novel Fiction:
Edwards, Pamela. Warthogs in the Kitchen: A Sloppy Counting Book: Hyperion Books for Children, 1988
Hardcover, 24 pages ISBN: 0786803991
Target Audience: Pre-K- through Kindergarten
Awards: None
Summary: 3 warthogs bake cupcakes while they count to ten.
Review: The color illustrations are bright and captivating. The rhyme scheme and natural meter make it easy to read. It includes recipes and cooking tips at the end of the book. It is humorous at points but not the most effective counting book I have seen. It is sometimes difficult to find a correlation between the objects and their numerical representation including some abstract associations with time.
Curriculum ties: This book is a good for both Mathematics and English. I would recommend this book for cooperative groups. Student groups could count and verify all the cupcake ingredients. This is a great read aloud book and the children can count with the warthogs.

[Sydney Funk · Rating 5 out of 5]

• How many Warthogs does it take to bake cupcakes? This delightful counting tale of a family of hungry warthogs finds out.
• Pre k-k
• This book could be used in a math class or an English class
• Individual students could benefit from this book by counting along with the Warthogs
• Warthogs in the kitchen can be helpful in a group. The students can work together to count the ingredients for warthog cupcakes. This could be used in a counting center.
• I would read this book aloud then have the students create their own counting book. Each page will have a number and that many of a drawing on the page.
• Other books like this include: Roar!: a Noisy Counting book
• This book is available in paperback and as an eBook

[Karla · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovely counting book with rhyme
Lends itself well to rereads
Adding a copy to my dramatic play area of the classroom with a cupcake tin

[wildct2003 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent story and pictures

[Christina · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this to my children tonight. The illustrations AND plot are humorous. There is an opportunity to bake at the end. Just the right sort of read aloud for us.

[Kim Redington · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun counting book with the warthogs making cupcakes and a mess in the kitchen! The young readers will see 0-10 along the way, with lots of silliness!

[Kelly · Rating 2 out of 5]

I just couldn't get into it.

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

CIP: Three warthogs count to ten as they bake cupcakes.

Review: Colorful illustrations, easy to read rhyming scheme with good sense of meter, plus a dash of humor and also culinary tips (including recipes at the end) make this a fabulous and entertaining book for children.

Publishers Weekly says "this is lightweight, irresistible fun kids can count on."
Parents Choice says "the book is something of a muddle, but the pictures are winning."

[Ariel Cummins · Rating 3 out of 5]

Counting book that follows some warthogs as they make cupcakes (including all the things warthogs love! Mmmm pickles!).

Drawings of the action on white backgrounds convey the sense of fun and unabashed abandon the warthogs are enjoying.

If you're looking for a counting book, there's a lot to choose from! This one isn't my particular favorite, but it's pretty good!

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

My 3 year old loves this book. We got it from the used book section of the library. He chooses it every night and we have had it for about a year now. The illustrations are really cute as is the story.

[Peggy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Children love to create. It's fun and a little crazy to count with warthogs. They are full of silliness and their concoctions are delicious! At least to a warthog. This is a fun filled counting book for children.

[Lauren · Rating 2 out of 5]

Kinda funny, and the recipes in the back are fun, but as a counting book, not so great -- the numbers don't always match up neatly with the objects in the illustrations (either objects are somewhat obscured or abstract i.e. "9 minutes").

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cute counting/cooking book. If you get a chance to read it, don't miss the recipes at the back of the book...especially the one for the warthogs!

[Andrea M · Rating 5 out of 5]

A funny book about baking cupcakes with pickles, peanut butter and mustard. I love that the recipe is at the back of the book!

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

A cute way to learn how to count- and to learn how to make warthog cupcakes! Mmmmm, pickles.

[I_love_a_happily_ever_after · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolute Hilarity! I never tired of reading this to my kids. Love it!

[The Brothers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love the Warthog books! Great illustrations and fun stories.

[Ms. DiSerafino]

We read this silly counting book to get our brains warmed up for math.