Most early counting primers are dry chores designed to tick off a developmental milestone. Mo Willems takes the opposite route by letting his famously melodramatic Pigeon flat-out refuse to participate. The bird argues that counting is for the birds, claims he already counted yesterday, and insists he has far more important business to handle.

The tactile touch-and-trace channels give little hands something concrete to do while you supply the shouting bird voice. It delivers solid numeral practice wrapped in enough genuine comedy that reading it six times before breakfast will not ruin your morning.