Let's Count Goats

Title: Let's Count Goats! 
Author: Mem Fox   
Illustrator: Jan Thomas  
Publisher: Beach Lane Books
Publication Date: 2010   
Genre/Format: Fiction/Picture Book  
Summary: A fun-filled book of counting silly goats!
What I Think: I just love the goats in this counting book, they are so silly and happy.  What I like about this book is that although it's a simple concept of counting goats, Mem Fox puts them in all sorts of places and allows for parents or teachers to talk about these places.  You can easily take one page and then generate as many ideas and vocabulary to go along with that scenario.  For example, you might ask kids to brainstorm as many ideas that come to mind when they read about the seaside goat.  What is the seaside?  Where is the seaside?  What is at the seaside?  Why might you go to the seaside?  With my students I'm constantly working on developing their vocabulary and this would be great for young children or ELL students.  How can you not smile at those goofy goats?
     I love bonus books that integrate other disciplines.  This book practices counting in a fun way that would be great for preschoolers or kindergartners.
Read Together: Pre-K - 2
Read Alone: K - 3
Read With: Bed Hogs by Kelly DiPucchio, This Jazz Man by Karen Ehrhardt, Cats' Night Out (Paula Wiseman Books) by Caroline Stutson

Snatch of Text:  "Here we see a mountain goat frisking in the sun.

And here we see a city goat going for a run.

But can we count the SEASIDE goats? (I think there's only one.)"

Reading Strategies to Practice: Activating Background Knowledge, Making Connections 
Writing Strategies to Practice: Personal Narrative, Poetry
Writing Prompts: Write a poem using your own rhyme about goats or your favorite animal.  Choose one of the places where you counted goats and then write about a time you visited that place and what you did there or where you would like to visit and what you think you'll find when you go there.
Topics Covered: Math-Counting, Goats-Animals, Figurative Language-Puns, Rhyme
Translated to Spanish: No