PLB 0-06-028017-4 paper 0-06-446728-7 This rambunctious introduction to visual patterns and sequences is a strong addition to the MathStart series. Carefully lining up his dozen blue, red, and yellow toy cars in an unstated but visible order, Kevin orders Molly to keep her hands off, which she does, at least until he leaves the room. Drawn by Molly’s ensuing honks and crashes, a mother, father, and a dog enter in succession, each one leaving the cars differently arranged. Can Molly replace them in their initial sequence before Kevin comes back? In fluid, energetic cartoons, Demarest makes it easy for children to help Molly solve her problem by giving each group of cars a bright color and distinctive shape, and Murphy appends suggestions for ways to continue the pattern-making with silverware, toys, and other household items. (Picture book. 3-7)
Pub Date: Jan. 31, 2000
ISBN: 0-06-028016-6
Page Count: 40
Publisher: HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2000
Though marred by an ill-conceived text, this alphabet of countries makes as magnificent a showcase for Adrienne Yorinks’s textile art as Marian Wright Edelman’s Stand For Children (1998) was. Piecing together strips and blocks of cloth that are from, or at least associated with, 26 countries (e.g., part of Kenya is African mud cloth), she creates vibrant collages of pictorial and abstract patterns around stylized political maps; evocative color schemes, plus scattered images of characteristic flora and fauna, convey a sense of individuality for each nation. Wong adds another course to this feast of color with a series of large polychrome initials, each designed to reflect the accompanying art in some way. The single sentence captions are either carelessly phrased or refer to natural features that are not depicted; still, each turn of the page will elicit admiration from viewers. (Picture book. 5-7)
Pub Date: May 1, 1999
ISBN: 1-890817-14-7
Page Count: 64
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 1999
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
PLB 0-688-16259-2 Time is relative, as Griffith’s pleasingly droll story makes clear, especially when a cat, a dog, a turtle, and a couple gnats get together to compare longevity. The dog, Alex, has made a cake for his friend, Robbie, a boy turning ten who never appears in these pages. A cat notes that Robbie’s years equal about 70 of hers, while a turtle figures that the same number equals about 8 of his years, because he can live to be 100. Two gnats buzz in to check on the doings, and they can’t even begin to comprehend the very notion of ten years—“ ‘Well, they’re gnats,’ said the cat. ‘Ten years to a boy is one billion years to a gnat.’ “ As Alex tries to determine how many candles are needed for each new configuration, the cat sniffs the cake: “This seems to be made of dog biscuits,” and the higher mathematics are put on the back burner while some sheer tomfoolery comes to the fore. This is a delightful exploration of dry humor and number-juggling, accompanied by some elegantly funny artwork. (Picture book. 5-7)
Pub Date: Aug. 1, 1999
ISBN: 0-688-16258-4
Page Count: 24
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 1999
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