Ten Frogs (by Quentin Blake)

I read too many picture books to blog them all, but once in a while I find one that really excites me. Ten Frogs is a simple counting book that I first saw in London last summer, but hadn't seen on this side of the pond until yesterday.

For the many of us raised on Roald Dahl books illustrated by Quentin Blake, Ten Frogs is immediately exciting, familiar, and all around fantastic.  Three dogs leap off the page with palpable joy.  Eight chickens ruffle their feathers with chickeny perplexity.  And not to be limited to the standard count of 10, Blake concludes with a hundred wasps that vibrate across the last spread and fill me with glee.  I bought this for my niece, but by the time her birthday rolls around, I'm not sure I'll be able to give it up.