Let's count kisses illustrated by Karen Hull

Lothian, Hachette Press, 2012. ISBN 978 0 7344 1270.
Recommended. This is a beautiful book, which highlights the many wonderful species of Australian butterfly. Supported by a website, the story counts kisses for many Australian animals, such as koala, wallaby, galah, kookaburra, echidna, wombat, platypus, dingo, crocodile and barn owl, and gently prepares the listener for a cosy bedtime.
As the story moves along, there are flaps to lift, butterflies to count, and animals so richly drawn that you could reach into the page and give them a big cuddle. The cadence of the story is light, lulling the listener into a calm and sleepy state, winding down for bed. Karen Hull's illustrations (done in pencil) are amazing and vibrant, and they caring along the rhyme of the story beautifully, adding richness to the text that would be sorely lacking were they not there. The butterflies are a highlight, with an amount of detail rarely seen in picture books of this ilk. The illustrator based the butterfly illustrations on the photography of Geoff Walker, and the result is very lifelike.
Prime for not just bed time, but for increasing the all important early numeracy and one to one correspondence skills, this book is recommended for both home and early years libraries.
Freya Lucas