Parent Guide
The Burly the Squirrel™ books are meant to be shared experiences between parents and children. As you follow the path together, you can add your own excitement and small moments of discovery along the way. For example, you might cover an acorn with your hand or a small piece of paper and reveal it when your child reaches that spot—celebrating the number together. Simple moments like this turn counting into a playful interaction that encourages children to stay engaged and curious.
Because children begin learning numbers at different stages, there are two simple ways to use the counting path.
For children who are just beginning to learn to count:
Start by following the path up the left side only. Count each acorn together as your child moves forward along the trail. At this stage, there is no need to use the reverse counting yet. The goal is simply to build confidence and familiarity with the numbers. Once your child becomes comfortable counting forward, you can return to the book and introduce the second part of the path.
For children who already know some numbers:
Children who are already familiar with counting from 1 to 10 (or higher) can enjoy the full path right away. As the child counts up the left side, they can then count back down the right side while placing each acorn into Burly’s basket. This gentle introduction to counting backward helps build early number awareness and lays the foundation for understanding subtraction later on.