Book excerpt: From the five lines on a music staff to the seven colors of the rainbow, all the way up to the famous 100th day of school, Number 1 Teacher: A School Counting Book takes a by-the-numbers approach to helping young readers understand and identify many of the concepts and lessons they'll learn in elementary school. There are 3 forms of matter we learn in science class-- One is liquid; two is solid; and the third is gas. Geography, music, and how to tell time are just a few of the many topics featured. From the husband-and-wife writing team who brought us T is for Teacher: A School Alphabet now comes Number 1 Teacher to help students focus on what counts to make the most of their school days.Steven L. and Deborah Dover Layne also wrote the popular T is for Teachers: A School Alphabet, which received a Learning magazine Teachers' Choice Award for Children's Books. Well-regarded educators and literacy consultants, the Laynes live with their young children in St. Charles, Illinois. Doris Ettlinger graduated from the Rhode Island School of Design and has numerous picture books to her credit. Her other books with Sleeping Bear Press include T is for Teachers and most recently, The Orange Shoes. Doris lives, draws, and teaches in an old grist mill on the banks of the Musconetcong River in western New Jersey.