Two: exploring the politics of exclusion and us v. them

Two by Kathryn Otoshi

Two by Kathryn Otoshi

When you think of counting books, what do you think of? For the most part, a pretty basic book, right? Something that teaches kids about numbers, or a number, and tries to make it fun, but doesn’t, at the same time, explore human nature on a particularly deep level? Well, sit back, crack open Two by Kathryn Otoshi, and see for yourself exactly how one creative author/illustrator takes numbers to a whole new level.

In Two, One and Two are friends…until Three jumps in between. Two feels left out as One and Three play the exclusive friend card, despite the fact that One and Two used to be friends. Then all the other numbers take sides and Odds stack up against Even in a battle that anybody can recognize as an “us v. them” style war. Ultimately, Two takes the others to task and reminds us all that people don’t have to be exactly the same to be friends and that it’s okay to have more than one friend at a time.

It’s a great way to teach numbers….as well as how to navigate the politics of playground and group dynamics for your little ones. Highly recommended! The pictures, though simple, are delightful.

Kathryn Otoshi and her books Zero, One, and Two.

Kathryn Otoshi and her books Zero, One, and Two.

Check out Kathryn Otoshi’s other books in the series as well, One and Zero, at www.kokidsbooks.com.

2 comments for “Two: exploring the politics of exclusion and us v. them

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.