Fascinating facts about baby pandas combined with a math lesson make this ideal for parents and teachers alike. Right-hand pages tell about the births and growth of Hua Mei and Mei Sheng, panda cubs at the San Diego Zoo. Left-hand pages zero in on one of the facts presented and turn it into a subtraction problem. Graphs, number lines, calendars and place-value charts present the problems visually. Nagda explains several different methods for solving subtraction problems: regrouping, subtracting each place value, thinking about doubles and adding up. While she explains these methods well, children will need additional support. Throughout, readers are encouraged to get to a “friendly” number (10, 100, etc.) to make the problem easier to solve—adding the same amount to both numbers keeps the difference the same. Even the least enthusiastic of math students will find something of interest, from how much the pandas eat, sleep, poop and weigh, to how long they will live. Adorable photos of the cubs support the text. A great text for elementary teachers and parents to share with their young mathematicians. (Nonfiction. 6-10)
Pub Date: Aug. 1, 2005
ISBN: 0-8050-7644-1
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Henry Holt
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2005
Trisha is ready to start at a new school, where no one will know she has dyslexia. At first, she is heartbroken to be in Miss Peterson’s special-ed class, aka, “the junkyard.” But Miss Peterson treats the children as anything but junk, showing them that everyone has a unique talent. Polacco’s trademark style is fully present here; her sensitively drawn alter ego shines with depth of feeling. When bullying occurs, Miss Peterson proves her students are worthwhile by planning a junkyard field trip, where they find valuable objects to be used in exciting ways. Trisha’s group repairs a plane, and the class buys an engine for it. Then a beloved class member dies, and the children must find a way to honor him. While the plot meanders somewhat, the characters are appealing, believable and provide a fine portrayal of a truly special class. Children will be drawn in by the story’s warmth and gentle humor and will leave with a spark of inspiration, an appreciation of individual differences and a firm anti-bullying message, all underscored by the author’s note that concludes the book. (Picture book. 7-10)
Pub Date: July 1, 2010
ISBN: 978-0-399-25078-1
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Philomel
Review Posted Online: May 31, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2010
Sloat collaborates with Huffman, a Yu’pik storyteller, to infuse a traditional “origins” tale with the joy of creating. Hearing the old women of her village grumble that they have only tasteless crowberries for the fall feast’s akutaq—described as “Eskimo ice cream,” though the recipe at the end includes mixing in shredded fish and lard—young Anana carefully fashions three dolls, then sings and dances them to life. Away they bound, to cover the hills with cranberries, blueberries, and salmonberries. Sloat dresses her smiling figures in mixes of furs and brightly patterned garb, and sends them tumbling exuberantly through grassy tundra scenes as wildlife large and small gathers to look on. Despite obtrusively inserted pronunciations for Yu’pik words in the text, young readers will be captivated by the action, and by Anana’s infectious delight. (Picture book/folktale. 6-8)
Pub Date: June 1, 2004
ISBN: 0-88240-575-6
Page Count: 32
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2004
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