MEASURING PENNY

A terrific pedagogical idea from Leedy (Mission: Addition, 1997, etc.) that offers instruction and no small dose of delight. Lisa’s teacher assigns the middle graders to measure something both in standard units, e.g., inches and teaspoons, and in nonstandard units, e.g., in pencils or toes. Lisa measures her Boston terrier, Penny, discovering that Penny’s ear is one cotton swab long (a basset hound’s is three), and that she can jump as high as Lisa’s waist. Other measurements are given in dog biscuits, centimeters, and the time it takes, for example, to walk Penny or to see her dash from her bed to her dish (six seconds). The illustrations, done in a primitive style with acrylics, offer solid figures and recognizable dog breeds; the design is carefully thought out and very clear. Readers will be inspired to measure their own pets; it will be up to their pets, of course, to cooperate. (Picture book. 6-9)