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The Very Berry Counting Book

Jerry Pallotta

3.44 · Rating details · 36 ratings · 8 reviews

Best-selling author Jerry Pallotta's latest counting book is for the youngest readers to devour. Covering familiar North American berries like blueberries and strawberries, as well as lesser-known ones such as mul-berries and salmonberries, this fruity board book combines evocative adjectives with berry names, numbers, and colors in a sweet and simple way. Joy Newton's ...more

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Board Book, 10 pages

Published May 2nd 2017 by Charlesbridge Publishing

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Average rating 3.44 ·

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· 36 ratings · 8 reviews

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Jan 29, 2019 La Coccinelle rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: children, non-fiction

This is a difficult book to review because there's not much to it. There are only ten pages, each with a number and a picture of the appropriate number of berries, each modified by an adjective. I kind of expected more on the text side of things; the book could've included little rhymes or something. As it is, it's fairly boring, and will probably only appeal to the youngest readers who are still learning their numbers.

The artwork is okay. It's colourful, and it depicts a number of more unusual ...more

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Aug 02, 2018 Amy rated it it was amazing

This book is awesome. Simple, beautiful. Using useful vocabulary for baby’s future. Yes, the berries might look similar, but if a kid can eventually tell the difference between groups of similar cartoon characters, between similar models of their toy cars, between the shoes, clothes, cups, plates, they like to wear and use, similar berries will be no problem. Especially if mom and dad point out color and shape changes, the difference in the branches and leaves that hold them.

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Jul 20, 2017 Tasha rated it really liked it

Shelves: board-books

Count from one to ten in this counting board book that features lots of berries. There are berries that children will recognize like strawberries and blueberries and also new ones to explore. The vintage feel of the book is very appealing and it’s a great way to explore berries and numbers all at once.

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Sep 11, 2018 Dana rated it it was amazing

An old fashioned country feel book that teaches all ages how to identify berries.

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Dec 10, 2017 Lauren rated it liked it

Shelves: skylar

Simple counting book with berries.

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May 28, 2017 MaryLibrarianOH rated it it was ok

Shelves: 2017-pub, z2017-read, kids-board-books

A counting concept book that will probably confuse kids as many of the various berries mentioned look very similar in the illustrations.

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Jul 20, 2017 Miss Lou rated it really liked it

A nice introduction to many summer berries. Love the vintage design and simplicity. How do you say salmonberry in Mandarin Chinese? More importantly, what IS a salmonberry? Are grapes and cherries considered berries? Why aren't all of the adjectives alliterations? I suppose this text brings up great questions to spark discussion.

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Oct 04, 2017 Rachel Tagliareni added it

Title (italicize): The Very Berry Counting Book
Author: Jerry Pallotta
Illustrator (if separate from author): Joy Newton
Genre: Children’s Book; Counting Book; Concept Book
Theme(s): Counting, Food, Fruit
Opening line/sentence (type directly from text): “1 one yummy raspberry”
Brief Book Summary (2-3 sentences in your own words): This book teaches counting skills by counting from one to ten using a variety of berries. The numbers are shown in numerical and word form and are paired with berries landing Title (italicize): The Very Berry Counting Book
Author: Jerry Pallotta
Illustrator (if separate from author): Joy Newton
Genre: Children’s Book; Counting Book; Concept Book
Theme(s): Counting, Food, Fruit
Opening line/sentence (type directly from text): “1 one yummy raspberry”
Brief Book Summary (2-3 sentences in your own words): This book teaches counting skills by counting from one to ten using a variety of berries. The numbers are shown in numerical and word form and are paired with berries landing from cranberries to elderberries. There is also a significant amount of adjectives associated with each berry.
Professional Recommendation/Review #1:
Name of Reviewer: Kirkus Review
Name of Source (journal, association/organization, etc.): Kirkus
Link to source: https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-re...
Short blurb from the review: “The presentation is deceivingly simple, yet it offers so much: numbers, colors, vocabulary in the form of berry names and adjectives, and, last but not least, art appreciation. Here’s hoping it will also open up appetites and a taste for the simple, healthy pleasures in life.”
Professional Recommendation/Review #2:
Name of Reviewer: Lynne Marie
Name of Source (journal, association/organization, etc.): My World Playground
Link to source: http://literallylynnemarie.blogspot.c...
Short blurb from the review: “The quality concept book will appeal to the very berry sweetest of little ones who love to count and eat fruit. As they listen or read, and listen or read again, they'll learn fun words to describe the things that they eat. It makes a great addition to a summer activity basket to keep little ones busy!”
Response to Two Professional Reviews (3-4 sentences in your own words)
I agree with both of these reviews considering they both acknowledge the sweet child-like qualities of the story and how the simplicity is an asset to the story. Additionally, these reviews pay tribute to the fact that the story uses berries which is something children could not only love to count, but also to eat. Furthermore, it is also said that this book is quite colorful and fun which I agree is a significant asset to the story.
Evaluation of Literary Elements (3-4 sentences in your own words):
This book was designed to be simplistic and non-intimidating for early readers, hence the simple pictures and introduction to numbers combined with graphic representation of such. The style incorporates colorful artwork on cream pages which allows for pops of flavor and color which is another literary asset to the story. There is not much prevalence of a plot considering the main purpose of the story is to count the berries on the page.
Consideration of Instructional Application (3-4 sentences in your own words):
One can incorporate this into the classroom through the utilization of an interactive prop such as using actual berries as to incorporate an element of nature. Additionally, a mini-lesson on the different types of fruits and berries and where to find them in nature. The book can be extended through various berry counting activities. Connections to other areas could be fruits other than berries and the name, shape and color of each one. ...more

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About Jerry Pallotta

Jerry Pallotta

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My full name is Gerard Larry Pallotta but my mom always called me "Jerry". I was born on March 26, 1953 in Boston, Massachusetts. My mom's name is Mary, and she came from a family of ten children. My dad's name is Joe, and he came from a family of five children. My grandparents were immigrants of Italian descent. I have the nicest parents in the world. They have always been unselfish and ready to My full name is Gerard Larry Pallotta but my mom always called me "Jerry". I was born on March 26, 1953 in Boston, Massachusetts. My mom's name is Mary, and she came from a family of ten children. My dad's name is Joe, and he came from a family of five children. My grandparents were immigrants of Italian descent. I have the nicest parents in the world. They have always been unselfish and ready to help me, even today. I have four brothers and two sisters: Joey, David, Andrew, Danny, Cindy and Mickey. I have seventy-two first cousins. When I was growing up, there were...KIDS EVERYWHERE!

My family moved to Medford, Massachusetts when I was young. I went to elementary school at Mt. Trinity Academy, not far from where my publisher is located in Watertown, Massachusetts. I never wrote a book in elementary school, and we never kept journals. In the neighborhood where I grew up, almost every family had seven to nine children. I guess that you could say that there were...KIDS EVERYWHERE!

I went to high school at Boston College High School, a Jesuit all-boys school in downtown Boston. The priests and other teachers were really wonderful. I played football and ran track. I had a great high school experience and I think later it made my studies in college much easier. My sons Neil and Eric graduated from Boston College High School in 2001 and 2003. Neil was named after a teacher I had, Fr. Neil Callahan, S.J. I never wrote a book in high school, and I never wrote for the school newspaper. I was too shy and was afraid of what other kids would think.

After high school I went to Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. I majored in business, a subject that would help me later in life when I decided to publish my first book. At Georgetown, I met my wife, Linda. In college I was an average student and was captain of the Georgetown University Rugby Team. I never wrote for the college newspaper, and I never imaged writing books. A couple of years later, Linda and I got married and I started to work at an insurance company in Boston. During the first six years of being married, we had four kids. It seemed like there were...KIDS EVERYWHERE!

Today, we spend a lot of time with my 31 nieces and nephews...again...KIDS EVERYWHERE!

I learned valuable skills while talking to people, selling insurance and collecting money. When I came home from work, Linda would ask me to "read to the kids!" I loved reading to my kids and I learned to appreciate children's books. The first few books that we bought were alphabet books and counting books. "A" was always for Apple and "Z" was always for Zebra. One day I decided, "Hey, I can do this!" I had an idea. I would write an alphabet book about the Atlantic Ocean. I spent every summer at Peggotty Beach in Scituate, Massachusetts. I have great memories of lobstering, fishing, mossing, clamming and rowing in my dory.

My first book was written in 1985 when I was 32 years old. I came up with the idea, wrote it, designed it, researched it, edited it and my cousin, Frank Mazzola, Jr. illustrated it. I published it myself under the name of Peggotty Beach Books. What fun! It was first printed on July 7, 1986. I'll never forget that day. The book eventually became the #1 best selling book at the New England Aquarium. I was afraid that only my mother would like it. Teachers and kids told me they really liked my book.

While speaking in schools, teachers also told me they were looking for simple non-fiction nature books. It gave me the confidence to write more. My next book, "The Icky Bug Alphabet Book", has sold more than 1 million copies. My third book, "The Bird Alphabet Book" was voted one of the best books of the year by Birders World Magazine. I now have over twenty alphabet books. My goal has always been to write interesting, fact-filled, fun to read, beautifully illustrated color children's books. Thank you to all my illustrators: Ralph Masiello, Frank Mazzola, Jr., Rob Bolster, Edgar Stewart, Leslie ...more