Children can become mathematical problem solvers, learn to communicate mathematically, and learn to reason mathematically by using the "Math Counts" series. Mathematics is not only interpreting numbers or mastering tricks of addition or multiplication. Mathematics is about ideas. These ideas have been developed to explain particular qualities such as size, weight, and height, as well as relationships and comparisons. Young children find such abstractions almost impossible to master. They need to see, talk, touch, and experiment. The full-color photographs and simple text in these books encourage talk about topics that are essentially mathematical. By talking, the young reader can explore some of the central concepts that support mathematics. It is on an understanding of these concepts that a child's future mastery of mathematics will be built.