An adorably freckled farm boy caring for his five little ducks teaches young children what is involved when the five suddenly become ten. With a simple format that keeps the youngest of readers in mind, this newest in the MathStart series is sure to be a hit with both adults and children. The tale follows a young boy as he feeds and cares for his flock of ducks. Along the way, children count the objects in the pictures, with help from a bubble in each corner that visually represents the correct number of objects and the numeral. There is one boy with two hands, three sacks of food, four bundles of hay for a nest, and five ducks. When they go for a walk and return with five new friends, the boy must double everything. He now needs six sacks of food to feed the ten ducks, and eight bundles of hay for their nest. But he is confused as to how he can have four hands, until he also realizes that he must double himself—he needs a new friend, too. Murphy (The Grizzly Gazette, below, etc.) includes an afterword to help readers get the most from the concepts presented. The section includes activities to help youngsters learn the concept, suggestions for extending the learning, and a reading list of other books that deal with similar concepts. Petrone’s (Uh-Oh!, not reviewed, etc.) illustrations are simple cartoons with bold colors; the subjects are kept large enough to draw and hold children’s attention. Readers will delight in all the fun they’re having on the farm while they’re learning some new math. (Picture book/nonfiction. 4-7)
Pub Date: Jan. 1, 2003
ISBN: 0-06-028922-8
Page Count: 40
Publisher: HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2002
A reassuring story that should leave readers feeling a bit more self-confident.
How do leaves know when to fall?
Lance Cottonwood is the sharpest leaf in school. He aces all his courses, including Budding, Wind Resistance, Photosynthesis 101, and Pigment Changing. The autumn semester brings anxiety, though. How will he pass the final exam and float effortlessly from his tree to the ground as he’s supposed to? Lance has a big problem for a leaf: He’s afraid of falling. He makes excuses for not doing it, then determines to emulate an evergreen cluster and remain tree-bound all winter. After a kindly teacher helps him overcome his fears, he decides to just do it. With encouragement from teacher and schoolmates, Lance lets go and lands on the ground safely. This jaunty, endearing autumn story might help anxious youngsters confront their own apprehension at facing worrisome experiences. Even though Lance literally lets go, he doesn’t let go of his fears but rather understands and accepts them—and performs the scary activity anyway, feeling proud of himself afterward. Besides reassuring readers, the tale provides some facts about trees. Autumn-colored display type, sometimes capitalized, appears throughout to express Lance’s and other characters’ dialogue. The charming illustrations depict sweet-faced, expressive, heart-shaped Lance and fellow leaves rendered in fall colors. A fact-based “progress report” for Lance appears on the final page.
A reassuring story that should leave readers feeling a bit more self-confident. (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: Aug. 1, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-68446-104-2
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Capstone Editions
Review Posted Online: April 7, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 2020
Who wouldn’t love a book you can really laugh over?
Can reading a book ever not be fun?
The narrator, an orange aardvarklike creature, addresses readers directly, enticing them to pay close attention by announcing that this book contains sure-fire kid-favorite topics as homework, Brussels sprouts, the dentist, chore lists, raisins, and early bedtimes. Can’t miss with those page-turners. The narrator exudes feverish elation, desperate to arouse enthusiasm. Who wouldn’t savor those talking points—every child’s first choices in reading material, no? The speaker’s frenzied excitement is emphasized via creative typesetting: Some words are set in larger fonts, colored capitals, and exclamation points, and the frequent expression “Ahhhhhhhhh Yeahhhhhh!” suggests the idea “You can’t beat this for good times.” Of course, this is all played for raucous guffaws. Many children will catch on to and chuckle over the author’s obvious, sustained gag. Younger readers, however, won’t have experienced daunting homework and may not have visited a dentist yet, so they might miss the point that those things are considered fearsome; additionally, lots of kids do enjoy raisins. The real reason for loving this book is saved for last, though—and it’s a reassuring goodie. The acrylic paint, gouache, and pencil illustrations are a dynamic, comic hoot and certainly one fine reason to love this tale.
Who wouldn’t love a book you can really laugh over? (Picture book. 4-7)Pub Date: March 5, 2024
ISBN: 9780374388539
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Review Posted Online: Dec. 6, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2024
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