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Two
Two is best friends with One. Whenever they'd get the chance, they'd dance! She'd sing and snap. He'd tappity-tap. What a pair they made! At the end of each day, they'd always say, "ONE, TWO, I'll count on you, 'til the end, we'll be best friends." Until Three jumps in between them . . . Suddenly One only wants to play with Three. "ONE, THREE, odds we'll be!" they chant. Two feels left out. But what can she do? Another character-building counting book by award-winning author Kathryn Otoshi, Two is a powerful story of friendship, loss, letting go, and self-discovery.
40 pages, Hardcover
First published September 15, 2014
2 people are currently reading
273 people want to read
About the author
Kathryn Otoshi
11Ìýbooks83ÌýfollowersKathryn Otoshi is an acclaimed author, illustrator and speaker best known for her character-building books, Zero, One, and Two. She travels across the country inspiring students through reading, art and the power of literature. Her books, Beautiful Hands and Draw the Line, make important statements about connecting and building community.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 114 reviews
January 26, 2020
After reading
One
and
Zero
, respectively, I had high expectations when I picked up
Two
. However, Kathryn Otoshi’s addition to the series just did not deliver what I had hoped. Part of it had to do with the inconsistent cadence—rhyming versus non-rhyming. Then there was the idea of pitting odds against evens. That is a more challenging concept for younger readers versus colors and a basic number sense. Nonetheless, the message is one that we can all relate to � can’t we just all get along.
October 21, 2014
Age: Preschool-2nd grade
The message of this book is admirable and the direct presentation seems like a nonfiction book (except there are animate numbers). I could see great potential for the message but the execution was muddy and boring. Nonetheless, the straight-forward approach will be appreciated by teachers and children experiencing the problem with cliques. And one side note, the number 2 is a bright, shiny yellow, making it hard to see when reading to a group.
The message of this book is admirable and the direct presentation seems like a nonfiction book (except there are animate numbers). I could see great potential for the message but the execution was muddy and boring. Nonetheless, the straight-forward approach will be appreciated by teachers and children experiencing the problem with cliques. And one side note, the number 2 is a bright, shiny yellow, making it hard to see when reading to a group.
November 29, 2014
Two and One are best friends until that green Three comes along, luring away One with the promise that “Odds are better than the rest.� As in her previous excellent picture books One and Zero, Kathryn Otoshi’s Two gives us a playful story of numbers coming into conflict and then finding ways to resolution. Otoshi uses catchy rhymes and rhythms and clever graphics to gently explore how friendships can be threatened and eventually restored. I admire how Two’s subtle wordplay brings out affective and aesthetic possibilities in several math-y concepts: odd, odds, even, greater than, less than, dividing, and angle. Two can be used with all age groups, including older readers who enjoyed One and Zero.
November 27, 2014
A friendship story which covers all the on again off again frustrations and jealousy that can creep into even the closest bond.
I really like the previous picture books involving numbers and moral lessons, but this book reads a little weaker compared to the previous two. The beginning was good because the reality of the friendship and the breakdown of it was all very relatable. From there the story became a little too sophisticated for my tastes. All sorts of artisitic math references were worked into the storytelling and the overall message which I think very much flies above kids' heads. Here, I think the simpler, the stronger the story.
That said, I still very much enjoy this author's work and will eagerly anticipate upcoming projects.
PreK-2.
I really like the previous picture books involving numbers and moral lessons, but this book reads a little weaker compared to the previous two. The beginning was good because the reality of the friendship and the breakdown of it was all very relatable. From there the story became a little too sophisticated for my tastes. All sorts of artisitic math references were worked into the storytelling and the overall message which I think very much flies above kids' heads. Here, I think the simpler, the stronger the story.
That said, I still very much enjoy this author's work and will eagerly anticipate upcoming projects.
PreK-2.
November 28, 2014
This doesn't really work. Too much of a stretch. Zero and One taught children numeric concepts, while also providing a fun story about another topic, such as self-worth, i.e. Zero. This book is just about numbers that fight and try to form cliques based on similarities. Kind of goofy. The number two itself meant nothing.
August 17, 2015
I liked this book. The first i have read of the author. Look foreward to Zero and One. For my two year old it is great since we are learning numbers and letters. I thought it was clever yet simple. Can't wait to read the other two. Great for young learners. Not sure the logic in the poorer reviews. I mean come on. It's a kids book. It is a great tool in educating your little one.
May 6, 2015
Super cute book that teaches a very important lesson in friendship and respecting everyone's differences. I don't want to spoil the book, so I'll just leave it at that.
June 30, 2017
Who knew a number book could be so interesting and fun?
July 12, 2017
Pretty good, but not as good as .
February 14, 2024
Eh. The story was a bit nonsensical and there was too much happening. The SEL topic was losing friendships, but there was no real resolution other than 'be friends with everyone'.
November 7, 2019
Really enjoyed this picture book. Two and one always play together until three comes along and takes her away, and we begin to see the numbers dividing into groups of odds and evens as they argue about which is better.
Uses a lot of good mathematical vocabulary and helps children to come to terms with the concept of odds and evens, while also giving the important message that friendship need not be divisive or exclusive, but all numbers are important in their own way.
Uses a lot of good mathematical vocabulary and helps children to come to terms with the concept of odds and evens, while also giving the important message that friendship need not be divisive or exclusive, but all numbers are important in their own way.
February 17, 2023
Kind of boring book which doesn’t take you out interest if you don’t read author’s previous books - One and Zero.
October 23, 2019
A cool story about number one and two being best friends. Along comes 3 and sides with 1. 2 goes through unhappy emotions despite the other numbers encouraging her. She eventually is called upon to creatively bring the odd numbers and even numbers together. Great problem solving.
January 20, 2015
One Two! We always start with this inseparable pair of best friends. Then follows Three, who butts in shouting "odds are best." Two reacts like any child would. For the third time Otoshi imbues something new into the concept picture book. As it was with One, and Zero, human characteristics and cultural beliefs are attributed to the numbers; Two is friendly, and Three is the third wheel and "bad". Colours continue to differentiate these "characters" and their moods. The cheerful yellow of Two sheds blues and even green after his friend leaves him. When the even numbers come to cheer him up, they create an even bigger divide among the group. Thus the concept of odd and even numbers gets introduced. It takes the wisdom of Zero, who recognizes that they all have value, to reason with Two, a number that connects. Math terms, and superb rhyme form a unique language for this series, one that teaches a very specific lesson, in this case...be above pettiness. Everyone can have more than one friend, and having different types of friends means different types of fun. The richness of Otoshi's formula of number, colour, and lesson is countered by the sheer simplicity of the illustrations. Numbers and words visually tell the story through arrangement and variation of form, achieving a surprising amount with so little. It is a testament to the author's skill that these digits convey more personality and emotion than many characters with faces do. Here's hoping that there will be a fourth book for Three.
June 13, 2017
2 stars for Two.
This book felt like it was trying to be too many things.
Math concepts such as evens and odds, and greater and less than were incorporated into the story but they were shown in a way that taught kids their meaning. A lot of idioms were also incorporated into the text but the use of them, although clever, may just be confusing to kids who are unfamiliar with them.
As for teaching about cliques and friendship, there are many books out there already which are much more memorable and less cumbersome to read.
This book felt like it was trying to be too many things.
Math concepts such as evens and odds, and greater and less than were incorporated into the story but they were shown in a way that taught kids their meaning. A lot of idioms were also incorporated into the text but the use of them, although clever, may just be confusing to kids who are unfamiliar with them.
As for teaching about cliques and friendship, there are many books out there already which are much more memorable and less cumbersome to read.
September 12, 2017
Two and One are best friends until Three comes along and gets One to hang around the other Odds. Two feels heartbroken, and her other friends try to make her feel better. Odds and Evens say they're better, and Zero talks to Two about how all the numbers are so divided. Two realizes she has a choice about how to handle the situation and helps all the numbers see that holding on too tight can be limiting. The numbers all intermingle, and Two and One apologize to each other and remain friends to the end.
April 28, 2019
I have Otoshi’s set of getting along and accepting each other books “Zero,� “One,� and “Two,� and throughly enjoy both the art and the message of all three. I plan to read them often with my grandchildren and will use them not only to illustrate the already mentioned lessons, but to teach math and art concepts as well. All three will also be purchased for my 4th and 5th grade libraries to be used as mentor texts in ELA and art classrooms. Wonderful books with a myriad of applications!
September 26, 2017
Visually striking with bold strokes of colours and numbers, children will identify with the even and odd numbers while learning about expanding their sphere of friendships and having strength within themselves. Kathryn Otoshi manages to magical combine gorgeous artforms with math concepts and values in life.
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September 21, 2019When 2's best friend 1 starts playing with 3, the whole number line is upset. "The ODDS are at odds with the EVENS and the EVENS want to get even with the ODDS." How will it be resolved? Otoshi's playful style mixes number theory, colors and emotional intelligence to find the answer. Love this book.
September 12, 2014
Odds are fans of Kathryn Otoshi's playful yet powerful number books will enjoy this as well. Great opportunity to discuss character ed- inclusion, feelings and being kind. Also lots of opportunities for math #kidlit exploring odds, evens, greater than & less than. Well done.
September 18, 2014
I didn't adore this as much as I did ONE and ZERO, but I can definitely see TWO being very useful with preschool and early elementary kids. All the friendship issues - best friends, jealousy, one group is better than another - are nicely addressed.
October 4, 2014
Just like the earlier books, Zero and One, this book has a great message that kids need to hear. I think fans of the other books will enjoy it, but I thought it was a bit forced and didn't flow quite as nicely as the first two books.
December 24, 2014
I really liked Zero and One but this title has no flow. Is it rhyming? Sometimes yes. Sometimes no. So read aloud rhythm is impacted. Message overtakes the story. All about message at the expense of story. Disappointed.
March 2, 2015
This book was published in 2014. This book was about how number 1 and 2 fought. It was like a battle between the odds, and the evens. At times i feel like this book could be really confusing, but it teaches kids about the evens and the odds, and what numbers they are!
October 8, 2018
Friendship, cliques, disappointment, overcoming—all themes of the book. It is a bit boring; my kids didn’t stay interested. I like the idea of teaching that we can be friends with more than one person and cliques can be hurtful, but the execution fell flat for me (and my children).
September 11, 2014
This is a very important topic in our house - how even if you have a best friend, you still include everyone in your play. This message should be heard from kindergarten through adulthood.
September 13, 2014
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September 30, 2014
Clever concept book that introduces even and odd numbers while exploring friendship and social dynamics.
October 1, 2014
Very clever!
July 5, 2017
When 3 comes in between 1 and 2, it's the evens against the odds. "Zero saw the numbers collide. Why did everyone need to take sides?"
Displaying 1 - 30 of 114 reviews
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