Official Review: Livy Little by Gabriella Gugliotta-Comes
- bookowlie
- Special Discussion Leader
- Posts: 9073
- Joined: 25 Oct 2014, 09:52
- Favorite Book: The Lost Continent
- Currently Reading: Up to No Gouda
- Bookshelf Size: 464
- Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-bookowlie.html
- Latest Review: To Paint A Murder by E. J. Gandolfo
Official Review: Livy Little by Gabriella Gugliotta-Comes

3 out of 4 stars
Share This Review
Livy Little: Learn to Count with Livy Little by Gabriella Gugliotta-Comes is a children’s picture book that explores the joy of counting. Livy Little is a little bear who loves to count basically anything - her toes, cats, butterflies, food items during a meal, etc. Her only frustration occurs when she miscounts and has to figure out what she did wrong. Follow along as Livy finds adventure in numbers throughout the day.
I enjoyed this short book as it introduces counting skills in an entertaining way. It shows kids the practical application of simple math in everyday life such as counting how many types of food you are eating or how many fingers you have. Livy is shown having fun which can encourage children to enjoy math from an early age.
The little bear’s enthusiasm is contagious. You can’t help but smile at the joy she exudes while counting. This is reinforced with the refrain, “What wonders can be done with numbers!” Even routine tasks are included; Livy counts the number of brushstrokes while brushing her hair and keeps track of how many chores she completes before bedtime. Kids might not find chores so bothersome if the tasks could be part of a counting game.
The story has an easy-to-understand plot and overall theme. However, there are a few word choices that seem too advanced for children, such as “profusely,” “privilege,” and “appeased.” Also, each page contains multiple paragraphs that are relatively long for this type of story. As a result, the book seems better suited as a read-aloud rather than a learn-to-read story. The breakfast scene, in particular, is busy and goes off track a bit with Livy’s introspective musings.
The author’s colorful and whimsical illustrations are a good fit with the narrative. The only issue I had is that a few of the pages contain more than one type of item Livy is counting. For example, one page discusses a wide range of items that Livy is adding within each classification – cats, mice, sashes, fingers, toes, eyelashes, hats, and doormats. I think having so many items on the same page can be overwhelming at a young age. Also, the fingers, toes, and eyelashes are not emphasized in the picture; instead, the bear is just shown standing in the middle of the room surrounded by the cats, hats, and other items.
This book has earned a rating of 3 out of 4 stars. It is a fun, educational read that introduces simple counting skills to the younger set. The sometimes busy storyline and advanced words prevent me from giving the highest rating. I would recommend the story to children ages 2-6. Hopefully, the author will consider writing more books featuring such a cheerful, appealing character.
******
Livy Little
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Like bookowlie's review? Post a comment saying so!
- Libs_Books
- Posts: 755
- Joined: 13 Feb 2018, 12:54
- Favorite Book: The year of the flood
- Currently Reading: Mason Dixon
- Bookshelf Size: 273
- Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-libs-books.html
- Latest Review: Dont Panic Its Organic by Dr. Andy Lopez
- lydiasmoot21
- Posts: 37
- Joined: 05 Apr 2018, 23:24
- Currently Reading:
- Bookshelf Size: 7
- Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-lydiasmoot21.html
- Latest Review: Diary of a Snoopy Cat by R.F. Kristi
- gali
- Previous Member of the Month
- Posts: 53656
- Joined: 22 Oct 2013, 07:12
- Currently Reading: The Man Next Door
- Bookshelf Size: 2302
- Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-gali.html
- Reading Device: B00I15SB16
- Publishing Contest Votes: 0
- gen_g
- Previous Member of the Month
- Posts: 3115
- Joined: 22 Apr 2018, 10:31
- Currently Reading: 1984
- Bookshelf Size: 104
- Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-gen-g.html
- Latest Review: The Diary That Will Change Your Lives Forever by Georgios Zelelidis
- Ginnamassa19
- Posts: 237
- Joined: 12 Apr 2018, 07:35
- Currently Reading:
- Bookshelf Size: 18
- Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-ginnamassa19.html
- Latest Review: The Reel Sisters by Michelle Cummings

Thank you for your review--it was very detailed!
- bookowlie
- Special Discussion Leader
- Posts: 9073
- Joined: 25 Oct 2014, 09:52
- Favorite Book: The Lost Continent
- Currently Reading: Up to No Gouda
- Bookshelf Size: 464
- Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-bookowlie.html
- Latest Review: To Paint A Murder by E. J. Gandolfo
- NL Hartje
- Previous Member of the Month
- Posts: 1262
- Joined: 04 Jan 2018, 12:58
- Favorite Book: Kushiel's Dart
- Currently Reading:
- Bookshelf Size: 385
- Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-nl-hartje.html
- Latest Review: Looking forward as the Journey continues by George Mills
I can't say I'm a children's book aficionado (although I did read my two children through their early reader stage), but I think this is the first counting book I've seen where the character miscounts. I think its a fantastic inclusion! Kids can get so disheartened by their mistakes and I love that counting errors are addressed here. I'm sold!
-Dr. Seuss
- Kalin Adi
- Posts: 1215
- Joined: 01 May 2017, 14:29
- Currently Reading: Island Games
- Bookshelf Size: 141
- Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-kalin-adi.html
- Latest Review: French for Girls by JP Wright
- bookowlie
- Special Discussion Leader
- Posts: 9073
- Joined: 25 Oct 2014, 09:52
- Favorite Book: The Lost Continent
- Currently Reading: Up to No Gouda
- Bookshelf Size: 464
- Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-bookowlie.html
- Latest Review: To Paint A Murder by E. J. Gandolfo
You make a good point! It might make a child feel better to know he/she is not the only one who makes mistakes.NL Hartje wrote: ↑20 May 2018, 10:54I can't say I'm a children's book aficionado (although I did read my two children through their early reader stage), but I think this is the first counting book I've seen where the character miscounts. I think its a fantastic inclusion! Kids can get so disheartened by their mistakes and I love that counting errors are addressed here. I'm sold!
- bookowlie
- Special Discussion Leader
- Posts: 9073
- Joined: 25 Oct 2014, 09:52
- Favorite Book: The Lost Continent
- Currently Reading: Up to No Gouda
- Bookshelf Size: 464
- Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-bookowlie.html
- Latest Review: To Paint A Murder by E. J. Gandolfo
Thanks for the kind words.Kalin Adi wrote: ↑20 May 2018, 13:10 What a cute way to introduce young ones to math. I love the idea of counting the brushstrokes when brushing the hair. Kids would love to do that before going to bed. And I agree that the range of items to be counted shouldn't be so big. Indeed, as the saying says "less is more." Wonderful review. Thanks.

- kandscreeley
- Special Discussion Leader
- Posts: 11758
- Joined: 31 Dec 2016, 20:31
- Bookshelf Size: 495
- Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-kandscreeley.html
- Latest Review: The Elf Revelation by Jordan David
—Neil Gaiman
- Kat Berg
- Posts: 776
- Joined: 05 Oct 2017, 22:29
- Favorite Book: <a href="http://forums.onlinebookclub.org/shelve ... 5">Raven's Peak</a>
- Currently Reading: James Baldwin
- Bookshelf Size: 223
- Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-kat-berg.html
- Latest Review: Why Am I Here by Melvin Bell
- Reading Device: B00JG8GOWU
- kfwilson6
- Previous Member of the Month
- Posts: 2065
- Joined: 14 Feb 2018, 15:30
- Currently Reading: Lord of Chaos
- Bookshelf Size: 298
- Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-kfwilson6.html
- Latest Review: The Stone Wall Crossing by Alice Schellhorn Magrane
- Reading Device: B00JG8GOWU

- Kristy Khem
- Previous Member of the Month
- Posts: 738
- Joined: 20 Feb 2018, 13:22
- Favorite Book: Carmela
- Currently Reading:
- Bookshelf Size: 183
- Reviewer Page: onlinebookclub.org/reviews/by-kristykhem.html
- Latest Review: Hattie Vavaseur by M. Rebecca Wildsmith