(3) K-3 Illustrated by Edward Miller. Large swaths of pastel colors and simple cartoons illustrate this exploration of the metric system. After pointing out that English measurement and metric measurement are two ways of expressing the same information, well composed spreads compare English and metric units in the areas of length, weight, and volume. Frequent examples relate to readers' experiences (a football weighs about a pound; seven apples approximate a kilogram) and emphasize the easy scalability of the metric system, while occasional activity suggestions encourage readers to get involved. Back matter includes unit conversion notecards and ways to "Think Metric!"

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam

(3) K-3 Penguin Young Readers series. Illustrated by Sam Ricks. In his fourth early-reader adventure, sports-loving Mo Jackson (Don't Throw It to Mo! and others) takes to the soccer pitch. He needs practice, and Mom and Dad are happy to help. During the big game--Billy Goats versus Pups--Mo has some ups and downs, but he (sort of inadvertently) scores the winning goal. Mo's underdog status and his try-try-again attitude, reflected throughout Ricks's unfussy illustrations, continue to have appeal.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Edward Miller. After introducing the special quadrilateral known as a square, Adler and Miller's latest collaboration veers off on a surprising and completely worthwhile tangent to explore, in depth, how a quadrilateral's angles always add up to 360 degrees. The usual suspects--rectangles, parallelograms, rhombuses, trapezoids, kites--are then defined. Engaging activities and easy-to-understand illustrations make this a solid follow-up to Circles and Triangles. Glos.

Reviewer: Tanya D. Auger

(2) K-3 Penguin Young Readers series. Illustrated by Sam Ricks. In his third easy reader (Don't Throw It to Mo!; Get a Hit, Mo!), Mo has a new sports obsession: basketball. Diminutive Mo struggles to connect (literally) with his teammates when passing the ball; with extra practice and encouragement, he shines when his team needs him the most. Intentionally repetitive sentences, engaging illustrations, and a large typeface make the humorous story comprehensible for new readers.

Reviewer: Eric Carpenter | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2018

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Anna Raff. Light, energy, color, shadows, and reflection are all covered in this engaging, information-packed picture book. Simple activities with household objects (spoons, drinking straws, etc.) demonstrate the properties of light, such as how it travels in a straight line or how light waves can be bent. The illustrations, featuring a smiling boy and girl and (oddly) their cow professor, support the information in the text. Glos.

Reviewer: Janet Dawson

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Anna Raff. This informative, interactive exploration of magnets and magnetism encourages readers to track down materials and investigate on their own. Each physics concept is carefully explained at just the right level and anchored in visible phenomena. Adler addresses common misconceptions or skillfully constructs lines of reasoning that prevent them from developing. Illustrations provide a friendly and helpful guide to the activities described in the text. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Danielle J. Ford | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2017

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Edward Miller. In Adler and Miller's latest math-tastic collaboration, they discuss the concepts of estimating and rounding and the subtle-seeming difference between them. The book is a bit wordy, but readers will stick with the invitingly tidy illustrations showing smiley kids and dinos navigating situations in which estimating and/or rounding save the day--how else to determine how much pizza to order?

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Andre Ceolin. Jacob is devoted to his Little League team--and also to his family's practice of Judaism. When the championship game lands on Yom Kippur, Jacob is torn between whether to play ball or observe the solemn holiday. Although he does make the expected choice (synagogue), his decision-making is believably complex. Cheery illustrations show the various diverse and dynamic "teams" to which Jacob belongs.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Edward Miller. Adler and Miller return with another breezy math lesson, this one centered on assessing the value of U.S. coins and bills ("Counting money is money addition"). Cheerfully co-teaching the lesson are digitally rendered Washington, Lincoln, Jefferson, Kennedy, Franklin, and, in a wheelchair, FDR ("My portrait is on the dime"). The book includes addition and subtraction challenges, with answers at book's end.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(3) K-3 Penguin Young Readers series. Illustrated by Sam Ricks. A baseball-season follow-up to Geisel Award–winning Don't Throw It to Mo!. Still the smallest on his team, African American boy Mo will bat last and play right field in the game. But Mo listens carefully to Coach Marie and watches his teammates--and eventually has his big moment. Accompanying the perfectly pitched leveled text, Ricks's illustrations capture Mo's feelings and the game's movements.

Reviewer: Kari Allen

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Edward Miller. After differentiating a circle from its 3-D relatives (spheres, cylinders, cones), Adler provides step-by-step directions for drawing the 2-D shape and its various parts (diameter, radius, sectors, etc.) and for measuring its circumference and area. Clear visuals reinforce activity instructions, geometry terms, and concepts (e.g., pi). Friendly animal illustrations provide opportunities for identifying specific circle parts. Answers to the activities are appended. Glos.

Reviewer: Tanya D. Auger

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Jeffrey Ebbeler. When Sara sees a hungry man eating rotten fruit, she feels compelled to help him. For Hanukkah, she leaves him a care package that includes a menorah, latkes, and cookies; then he joins her family for a holiday dinner. The well-intentioned but heavy-handed message about helping those who are less fortunate ("giving tzedakah") pairs with animated illustrations that capture Sara's enthusiasm.

Reviewer: Rachel L. Smith

(3) K-3 Penguin Young Readers series. Illustrated by Sam Ricks. Mo loves football, even though he mostly sits on the bench with Coach Steve. The other team doesn't think Mo, the youngest and smallest kid on his team, stands a chance to catch the ball, but Coach Steve has a plan. Simple text, an exciting story, a lovable underdog, and charming illustrations combine to make this easy reader a winner.

Reviewer: Kari Allen

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Anna Raff. "A gear is a wheel with teeth. Gears can change the speed, power, and direction of a machine's work." With the help of a seen-but-not-heard cat and a collection of children, this book gives accessible examples of the simple machines of the title, such as seesaws, faucets, and construction cranes. Pastel illustrations are lively and friendly, with just enough detail.

Reviewer: Frieda F. Bostian

(3) 4-6 Illustrated by Edward Miller. A boy (and his dog) sets up a lemonade stand, selling his product over several days. The laws of supply and demand play out in solid, specific ways, and concepts of fixed and variable costs and variable profit are introduced. Additional sales examples (art, bathing suits, watermelon, gasoline) reinforce the economic concepts. Miller's colorful digital illustrations add to the lively tone. Glos.

Reviewer: Gail Hedges

(4) 4-6 Sherlock, Lupin & Me series. Illustrated by Iacopo Bruno. It's spring of 1871 when Irene, Sherlock, and Lupin team up for their fourth case. This time, they're all in France, where Irene's mother is recovering from an illness. Narrator Irene is still as gutsy as ever, but the convoluted plot--featuring map fragments, a nefarious Grand Master, a sacred relic, and French politics--may leave some young American readers scratching their heads.

Reviewer: Tanya D. Auger

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Jill Weber. Adler follows up The Story of Hanukkah with the Passover story. The straightforward text touches on Jacob and the Children of Israel, slavery and Pharaoh's cruelty, Moses's encounter with the burning bush, the ten plagues, and the Red Sea escape. Weber's expressive, rich-hued acrylics play up the drama but also offer reassurance and even some humor through small, eye-pleasing details.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz

(3) 1-3 Danny and best friend Calvin sleuth to find their super-strict fourth-grade teacher's missing dog and return Mrs. Cakel to her usual self. Good-humored narrator Danny uncovers clues, explains Calvin's odd behaviors, and faces his own dad's temporary job loss with equal insight. Danny's gently comedic doodles further the light tone and provide frequent resting points for readers transitioning to longer chapter books.

Reviewer: Rebecca Fox

(3) 4-6 Theodore Roosevelt, a sickly young boy from a wealthy New York family, went on to serve his nation in many ways, most notably as a colonel in the Spanish-American War and as president. Adler systematically shares the highlights of an action-packed life, including memorable primary-source quotes that, along with period photographs, bring the influential figure to life. Timeline. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Amy Lois Cohn

(3) K-3 Penguin Young Readers series. Illustrated by Susanna Natti. Cam and best friend Eric visit Eric's grandparents, but Grandma and Grandpa are too tired to do anything--someone (or something) keeps knocking on their door and waking them up. Cam and Eric solve the mystery through their powers of observation. Simple language and sentence structure make this book accessible for beginning readers and may help lead them into the chapter books about these kids.

Reviewer: Kari Allen