Ten Little Ladybirds

Holes in the pages of this chunky subtraction rhyme book allow us to touch and count the ten stuck-on plastic ladybirds; with each page turn, the number decreases. The book is well-constructed, the ladybirds resistant to being prised off, the drawings cheerfully whimsical. Sadly this attractive idea is accompanied by a nonsensical narrative as a succession of unlikely animals contribute to the decline of the ladybird population - 'Ten little ladybirds sitting on a vine, along came a butterfly - and that left ... nine'; 'Four little ladybirds climbing up a tree, along came a turtle - and that left ... three ...' My three-year-old tester did not notice the non sequiturs, being intent on the disappearing bugs, but an opportunity has been wasted here.