Is Two a Lot?: An Adventure with Numbers

by Annie Watson, Rebecca Evans (Illustrator)

While Joey’s mom explains the context of numbers in vivid ways, Joey’s imagination transforms their ordinary car ride into a magical odyssey through a land of make-believe.  

Is 2 a Lot? is a wonderfully charming and authentic exchange between mother and child. Annie Watson’s story makes numbers tangible, and Rebecca Evans’s illustrations bring them to life.

Genres: Picture Books, Mathematics, Number, Counting, Childrens, Storytime, Humor

32 pages, Hardcover

Published June 4, 2019

Reviews

[Cindy Mitchell *Kiss the Book* · Rating 4 out of 5]

Is 2 a Lot? An Adventure with Numbers by Annie Watson, illustrated by Rebecca Evans. PICTURE BOOK. Tilbury House Publishers, 2019. $18. 9780884487159

BUYING ADVISORY: EL - ADVISABLE

AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH

Joey has some questions for his mommy about numbers. He wants to know if 2 is a lot. His mommy explains that 2 pennies are not much, but 2 smelly skunks are a lot. So begins the adventure as Joey and his mom discuss numbers and their car wondrously fills with Joey’s imagination.

The illustrations of the book are the best! As Mom is questioned by Joey about numbers, those items appear on the pages. Five freckles is not a lot, but five cowboys on a city street are a lot. Joey’s imagination comes alive in the illustrations.

Diann, Media Specialist
https://kissthebookjr.blogspot.com/20...

[Deb in UT · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is all about perspective. Two (and more) things can seem like a lot or a little depending on what the things are. "Two is not a lot of pennies," says the mom, then you turn the page, "But two is a lot of smelly skunks." It's a very simple and yet insightful concept. Children can be good at getting parents to think. I like the effort the mom makes to answer the child's questions.

The illustrations seem to represent what's on the child's mind. They are fantastic! It's said, "A picture is worth a thousand words," and that's very true for this book. The simplicity of the words is definitely enhanced by the colorful, humorous, imaginative pictures. The occasional surprises got me smiling. This is the favorite of the books I've read to Alena so far this week.

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'd give this one a 3.5 for originality and for all the well-depicted and sometimes over-the-top scenes that complement the text. As mathematicians know, numbers have great value, but they aren't necessarily static. By this, I mean that it depends on the objects they are representing just how much they are. As Joey and his mother are traveling in their car, he wonders if two is a lot. Sher responds by coming up with instances where a certain number of objects would not add up to much and others when it would. As the numbers climb higher, moving from two to three to four to five to ten to fifty to one hundred to one thousand, the scenes get crazier and more crowded as all the animals and individuals from the previous scene join Joey and his mother. The last scene contains a sweet message too. This book would be great to share on road trips or in response to a youngster who is curious about whether a certain number is a lot. The answer? It all depends. Mathematics teachers will want to add this one to their classroom bookshelves.

[Molly Cluff (Library!) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book! Bright, colorful, silly, and a good way to discuss numerical concepts (four is not a lot of children on a bus, but four is a lot of dogs to walk at once!).

[Stephanie Bange · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not really a counting book, rather this talks about the concept of when are the number of things "a lot" and when are they not?

One day while riding in the car, Joey asks his mother all kinds of questions about numbers, if __(fill in the blank) is "a lot". His mother's answers are never yes or no. Rather she gives tangible examples to show that it all depends on what you are counting.

Watson's text rings true to youngsters who ask these types of questions. Rebecca Evans is the star here. Her watercolor and ink illustrations are full of life and tell their own story of a car ride gone awry. Whatever number Joey asks about, that number of people/things ends up in it. Watch out when they get to 100 and 1,000!

A number concept book that is full of fun.

Recommended for PreS-K.

[Heidi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Is 2 a Lot? takes the reader on a journey through the relative value of numbers as imagined by a mother and her little boy. I quite enjoyed reading this as the comparisons the mother makes are amusing. For example, when Joey asks if 2 is a lot, his mother tells him that 2 isn't a lot of pennies, but it is a lot of smelly skunks. At this point, the mother turns the car down a path with a sign that says, "Fasten safety belt before time travel". Joey continues by asking about 3, 4, 5, 10, 50, 100, and 1000. As the mother shares various amusing comparisons with her son, the various items and animals start to interact and build up in the illustrations creating an amusing conglomeration of chaos amidst the orderly nature of numbers. Numbers have never been so fun! A great book for sheer enjoyment, but even better for teaching children about a rather abstract concept.

[Miss Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This very different book about numbers and how big they are or how small in perspective is a great twist to seeing them. The illustrations by Rebecca Evans bring alive, visually what the mom is trying to show her little boy about the ?'s he's asking about numbers. It is all about the context of the number itself. Well done, and really fun. Kids will enjoy this read-aloud. Great for parents and teachers!

[Clara · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the original idea behind this book. As a former teacher, I know how important it is to teach kids to think about numbers in a way that holds meaning. Bonus points, too, for meaningful diversity—I especially love that the Alaskan Natives are portrayed realistically in a modern setting. The best part is that this book is just plain fun—my daughter’s favorite page is the cowboys riding down the city street! :)

[Pamela Powell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my, this is adorable! Joey begins a car ride by asking mom if two is a lot. Mom's answer is wonderful: it's not a lot of pennies, but it IS a lot of skunks! The questions continue from there with Joey asking about other numbers and Mom giving two examples where the number is not a lot and where the number is a lot. The illustrations wonderfully add to the enjoyment of this one. My students love it!

[Jessie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a lovely #unitchat book. When are 2, 3, 4, 5, 10, 50, or 100 big? The mother gives some examples, and then asks the child what he thinks about whether 2 is big or not.

This would be a good book to teach kids the game "When is X Big?" suggested by Games for Young Minds.

The illustrations are colorful and fun.

[Kayla · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great book to read at the start of the year with my kiddos to get them started thinking about numbers in a flexible way. They enjoyed the illustrations and made commentary on the idea of "big" being relative.

[Nadina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this. It was cute and fun. It is a great book to get kids thinking about comparisons and what numbers look like. The illustrations were fun, simple and cute.
I think I would be quite likely to reccomend this book to kids.

[Ms Threlkeld · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good read aloud for discussing quantity and number sense.

[Mary Norell Hedenstrom · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great book for building number sense

[mg · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great way of getting kids to think about numbers in context!

[Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a very enjoyable book. It stretches the mind.

[Miss Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

an elementary and up book about the meaning of numbers and how they relate to real life sizes of things by comparison.

[Jo Oehrlein · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love how for every number they give an example of when it's not big and when it is.

[Kayla · Rating 4 out of 5]

my 4.5 year liked "that the car was floating."
I liked that it made math a silly comparison game.

[Elizabeth]

I don't understand why the illustration of a school bus is a red double-decker bus.

[KaitandMaddie · Rating 5 out of 5]

The girls giggled, even I laughed. This is the best math related book we’ve ever read, I think. The scenarios are hilarious and really illustrate the concepts.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Number concepts can be tricky and this does a great job of breaking it down.

[Latrice Green]

Appropriate and inappropriate estimations summed up in this little book. Great for Pre K- 3rd

[Pearl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great for relative early math skills! Definitely conversation-sparking.

[N · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked the concepts dealt with in this book. But I'm not really into the illustrations. The style is great, they're well done. I just am not too into how it tells another story there.

[Margaret]

Using numbers for counting is a part of nearly everything we do daily. We have ten minutes left before taking cookies out of the oven. We are two miles away from the grocery store. We pump five gallons of gas into our car's tank. Let's plant those trees four feet apart. We are consciously or unconsciously counting all the time.

We probably don't take into consideration the impact of amounts and certain things, but it is an intriguing way to look at numbers. Is 2 a Lot?: An Adventure with Numbers (Tilbury House Publishers, June 4, 2019) written by Annie Watson with illustrations by Rebecca Evans explores concepts of quantity. Readers will discover perceptions or points of view do weigh heavily on what may or may not be a lot of something or anything. You might want to buckle up and hang on tight. This is no ordinary ride.


My full recommendation: https://librariansquest.blogspot.com/...

[Kellee Moye · Rating 4 out of 5]

Trent loves books like I do, but he really is more of a science and math kid than I was (am!), so whenever we can combine the two in fun ways, the book is a favorite in my house. This also shows the engagement opportunities with a book in a classroom.

I love that the story is a conversation between a mom and her son. It reminds me so much of so many conversations I’ve had in my car with Trent. I really promotes the inquisitiveness of kids which is something I think we all need to keep promoting.

Full review with teaching tools: http://www.unleashingreaders.com/?p=1...

[Theresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

My 5 year old son adored this book, but he is a total nerd who loves numbers. The mom and son have a magical car ride with a continued dialogue about numbers. "Ten is not a lot of popcorn pieces, but it is a lot of chomping dinosaurs." He started finding things in the house and comparing their relative size. I loved it!

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! I love exploring the idea of relativism vs. absolutes, and I also love the progressive nature of the "hop-ons" to their car; there is a lot to notice in this book, which also has a super-sweet ending.

[Sarah Sands · Rating 5 out of 5]

So stinkin' cute and the illustrations are fantastic! The ending is so warm and fuzzy!