Five little ducks went out one day,
Over the hills and far away.
Mother duck said,
"Quack, quack, quack, quack."
But only four little ducks came back.

Pamela Paparone has transformed this traditional rhyme into a cozy, charming counting book for very young children. One by one, the five little ducks disappear, while mother duck is busy raking leaves, washing the winter quilts, picking apples, and baking a pie. In addition to the dwindling duck family, there are lots of other creatures for children to identify and count in the bucolic early-autumn landscape. And there is a cause for celebration when finally all five errant little ducks come back.