In another entry in Axelrod’s math-concepts series (Pigs in the Pantry, 1997, etc.) Mr. and Mrs. Pig and their piglets visit a miniature golf course for Mr. Pig’s birthday, and get a crash course in simple geometry. The pigs, as always, are a jolly bunch, ever-ready to exploit the comic possibilities. In this story, Mr. Pig plays the fall guy: Even his new lucky shirt can’t save him from putting his ball out of bounds, into the water, or beneath the bushes. Of course, the other three pigs work the greens like Sam Snead, all the while offering Mr. Pig advice, much of it laced with geometry. Some of the dialogue becomes stilted (“Dad, this one is so easy. Just gently putt to the center of any of the equal sides, and the ball will land in the cup”), but the story still prattles along in a merry vein, with its subtext of lines and curves, parallels and semi- circles. (There is a quiz at the end.) McGinley-Nally shows pigs running happily amok, flashing wit, knowledge, and the electric palette of a single-minded crusade against math anxiety. (Picture book. 4-9)
Pub Date: Aug. 1, 1998
ISBN: 0-689-81565-4
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 1998
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
An amusing primer on forms and uses of money.
A dollar goes a long way to find his purpose.
Big Bill is a cowboy-themed dollar bill, complete with hat and lasso, in a world of anthropomorphized currency (picture googly eyes on all those green and metal faces). Tales from Hundred about the luxurious lives of larger bills cause Bill to toss Penny into a fountain and wish to become a larger bill. After becoming a $10,000 bill, our hero gets a tour of the lavish life from Thousand, who tells him that “Rare bills stay in the shade—we can’t afford to fade.” Bill realizes he would rather be a useful bill in circulation than a guarded asset, and he escapes. This book is an effective conversation piece, especially for its many portrayals of how money is handled, including being printed, put in a cash register or purse, flipped into fountains, and transported in trucks. Sans-serif text changes between black and white for maximum contrast, while large, blue sound effects punctuate the action. Punny dialogue imparts monetary terms and idioms (“My two cents—you’re top dollar!”). Backmatter includes notes about the history of U.S. currency, graphics showing the digit places in 10,000 and how $10,000 divides into different denominations, and a bibliography. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
An amusing primer on forms and uses of money. (Informational picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: July 11, 2023
ISBN: 9781645677116
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Page Street
Review Posted Online: April 11, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A lovely, simple reminder to pause and notice this life.
A white-bearded grandfather imparts his gentle wisdom to his grandchildren—a girl and a boy—as they meander through a placid green space.
Together, the grandfather and children make note of the bustling natural world. The birds are flying, the dog is running; everyone seems to be in a hurry. The grandfather suggests that the children try another way of being with him, sitting quietly on a bench. The creatures around them respond to their stillness, also taking a moment to rest. As the book draws toward its close, each child is featured in a full-page portrait illustration, gazing out as they note what the quiet and stillness offers to them: “I can think, when I’m quiet. / I can see, when I’m still.” It seems as though the prolific author and illustrator dePaola is speaking directly to readers on these pages, passing on his own insight. His signature illustration style is so simple that it feels fresh. Thick outlines separate individual shapes, and the muted palette epitomizes softness. A single white lotus floats in a small pond on the final page, perhaps paying homage to contemplative practices such as mindfulness that encourage making space for quiet reflection in our busy lives. Children and grandfather have light skin, the girl with straight black hair and the boy with a curly red mop.
A lovely, simple reminder to pause and notice this life. (Picture book. 4-8)Pub Date: Oct. 9, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-4814-7754-3
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: June 24, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2018
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