Math Man might be a barrel of fun, but he’s not going to be teaching readers much math. Marnie’s class is off to Mighty Mart to see a little math in action. Garth, a.k.a. Math Man, is a clerk with a talent for math. (A contemporary fantasy, obviously.) He races about the store, advising shoppers on their purchases: get a quarter of a watermelon, it fits in the fridge better; or to a mother—“There are four Dinkies in that box, ma’am. And you’ve got five kids. How about a family pack of ten . . . two snacks each?” By the end of the story, when the cash registers have gone on the blink and Math Man is adding colossal columns of figures in his head, readers will swoon at his command of all those numbers. Problem is, readers will not be able to do the same, nor do they get any inkling of the mechanics behind the math—a troop of mice play a cameo role by introducing equations into the marginalia, but without an explanation, the equations’ rationale goes begging. Math Man’s value and appeal lies in his enthusiasm, which Bush (Ferocious Girls, Steamroller Boys, and Other Poems in Between, 2000, etc.) conveys through exuberant, cornball illustrations full of mousy fun, but the best that can be hoped for here is a provocation to learn the meat of the math elsewhere. (Picture book. 6-8)
Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2001
ISBN: 0-439-29308-1
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Orchard/Scholastic
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2001
PLB 0-688-17054-4 Henkes offers a bare-bones arrangement of words to convey snowfall, the creatures that enjoy it, and the passing of the day. “The snow falls and falls all night. In the morning everything is white. And everyone wants to play. Oh!” Animals and children are introduced with the tinkered refrain: “The cat wants to play. Sneak, sneak, sneak, brave young cat. The dog wants to play. Run, run, run, clever old dog.” The reasons for the words “brave” and “clever” are never shown in any tangible way. The snowscape is depicted in a dreamy and lovely wash of color by Dronzek, who gives the animals faces, but uses hats and hoods to hide the features of the children. After everyone joins in a peaceable kingdom of building, the shadows lengthen, the snow turns an evening blue, and playtime is over. For all their simplicity, the words and acts have an opacity that encumbers flow and meaning; the haiku-like spareness is employed without effect. (Picture book. 2-6)
Pub Date: Oct. 1, 1999
ISBN: 0-688-17053-6
Page Count: 24
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 1999
A Is For...? (36 pp.; $16.00; Oct.; 0-15-201582-5) This clever alphabet book invites viewers to discover the animal—one for each letter of the alphabet—that Horenstein has captured in an intriguing tinted black-and-white photograph. It is no easy task, as often, only one part of the animal in question appears: a fin, tail, horn, eye. To add to the challenge, the link between the animal’s name and the letter of the alphabet under discussion is not always apparent, e.g., the ox for X. The photographs have a soft and somewhat old-fashioned look, and encourage repeat viewings. A fuller shot of every animal as well as information on photography appears in the back, where Horenstein also explains that he took 7,000 photos to find the 57 used in the book. (Picture book. 5-8)
Pub Date: Oct. 1, 1999
ISBN: 0-15-201582-5
Page Count: 36
Publisher: Harcourt
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 1999
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