Tallying Turkeys: 10 Fat Turkeys by Tony Johnston

Gobble, Gobble, Wibble, Wobble,
Do a noodle dance.
10 fat turkeys
Fooling on a fence.

"Lookie!" said a silly turkey,
Swinging on a vine.
Gobble, Gobble, Wibble, Wobble,
"Whoops!" Now there are ... 9!

While their parents are busy counting heads for their turkey-day dinner, preschoolers can be gleefully counting their own plump poultry in another of veteran author Tony Johnston's feast-day favorites, 10 Fat Turkeys.

Not just a counting book, this book is also an elementary subtraction exercise, as one by one the feathery flock do various dismounts from their fence and the turkey count drops:

"Lookie!" squawks a goofy turkey,
Trying to roller-skate.
Gobble, Gobble, Wibble, Wobble,
Oops! Now there are... 8!

There's soon plenty of room up on that fence as turkeys alternately dive, fall off, and even flop away after swallowing an errant bee, until...

Lookie!" yells a plump turkey,
Jumping up and down.
Gobble, Gobble, Wibble, Wobble.
That's all there are! ...NONE!

Rich Deas' bright autumnal palette decks out his terrific Toms in shades of amber and orange and provides them with their own distinctive chapeaus, from baseball caps to Stetsons to aviator helmets and goggles. With their goofy, googly eyes and expressive beaks, we just know these poultry pals won't be falling for anyone's Thanksgiving dinner invitation. And, despite its tempting board book and paperback/CD versions, if 10 Fat Turkeys totals too many turkeys, there's always its toddler cousin, Salina Yoon's equally bouncy and best-selling Five Silly Turkeys, which can, um, be counted on to fill the bill as well!