(2) K-3 Number Tours for Curious Kids series. Illustrated by Dawn DeVries Sokol. Berne's counts and measures of the cells and organs of the human body illustrate just how remarkable -- and quantifiable -- we are. "Did you know" that we are composed of "30 trillion cells," eight thousand taste buds, and "60,000 miles" of blood vessels? Or that "15 million cells in your body were replaced by new ones in the time it took you to read this sentence"? Numerous other facts about our sensory organs and digestive, skeletal, respiratory, and circulatory systems are equally impressive. The organized layouts include diagrammatic illustrations that effectively portray each system, often within a child-size human body outline, accompanied by text on scraps of lined notebook paper that appear taped onto the pages. The end notes should not be skipped, as they include noteworthy details about the various systems, additional number facts, and an important statement about the degree of certainty of some of the numbers. An interactive section at the very end of the book encourages readers to measure their own bodies and to calculate the volume of their blood, their heart rate, and number of bones in their hands.

Reviewer: Danielle J. Ford | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2024

(2) K-3 Translated by Lawrence Schimel. Illustrated by Gabriela Lyon. Originally published in Chile, this picture book begins with a quick chart comparing meters to miles (nine kilometers equals 5.59 miles), then the main text begins. A child wearing boots, jeans, and a backpack starts a long early-morning trek: "It's still dark when I leave home." The first-person narration describes counting steps (fifteen thousand on this walk), butterflies, and lizards in order to pass the time. Most of the story is revealed in the atmospheric acrylic paintings; for example, we see the child use a forked stick to raise the bottom of a barbed-wire fence and crawl through. The illustrations vary the point of view, so sometimes we are watching the protagonist, and other times we have a bird's-eye view that demonstrates how small the child is and what a long way there is to go. One particularly effective picture shows the character crossing a cow ­pasture, looking tiny in the expanse with the bigger animals. The matter-of-fact tone is echoed in the ­closing pages, which give information on the distances children in various parts of the world might travel to school--revealed at the end to be our narrator's destination--using specific examples. Additional information about the birds seen in the pictures is appended. The protagonist's path is shown on the endpapers, perhaps encouraging readers to compare their own routes to school.

Reviewer: Susan Dove Lempke | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2023

(2) K-3 In this deceptively simple book, a (mostly offstage) grownup poses a series of questions to a child; each query has a surprising range of suggested answers. The illustration accompanying the first question--"How ready are you?"--shows the child clutching a ruler signaling that measuring is to come (and rulers are incorporated in other spreads), but these aren't your typical growth charts. The eleven replies run the gamut from "not at all" to "on my way" to "rarin' to go," and the font size of each answer indicates the level of enthusiasm of the response. In the beginning, the questions are straightforward: "How big are you?" ("microscopic," "growing like a mushroom"); "How fast are you?" ("as slow as a tired turtle," "meteoric"). As the book progresses, the questions turn more contemplative and less quantifiable: "How happy are you?" ("out of sorts," "walking on air"); "How much do you have?" ("zilch," "more than I need"). The eye-catching, geometric illustrations feature a limited palette of bold colors, simple shapes, and graphically pleasing compositions, in which the energetic child (with brown skin and a mass of black hair), a blue dog, a caterpillar, and a tiger play out their own story. The questions lead to a sweet final one: "How much do I love you?" The child and pals (the caterpillar has gone from chrysalis to butterfly) dash to the light-skinned grownup, shown on the final spread with arms open wide, answering the question with an enthusiastic "Immeasurably!" This book cleverly expands young listeners' and readers' emotional vocabulary and offers many opportunities for cross-curricular activities.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2023

(1) K-3 Clever, whimsical, and jam-packed with details, Fisher's visual graphics chart the friendship of two young girls. First up, a Venn diagram, drawn by the story's narrator, Ana, captures what she and brand-new pal Harwin do--and don't--have in common. Both, for example, enjoy cheese and graphic novels, but Ana loves turtles, while Harwin adores horses. Later infographics include a schematic diagram of the girls' recipe for fairy tea, a coordinate chart of their differing tree-climbing abilities, and a timeline of their "so cooool!" Halloween adventures. But Ana's declaration--"I thought the fun would last forever"--hints that a big bump looms ahead. Sure enough, readers soon learn that Harwin is moving away. A bar graph ranks Ana's many feelings: shock, sadness, fear, envy, and also a bit of excitement for her friend. Dialogue and narration are at a minimum here, with just enough of each to introduce the various charts and propel the plot along. Humorously drawn with marker, pencil, and image editing software, Fisher's infographics will have readers lingering over the pages of this heartwarming celebration of a friendship that will last "this year, next year...and the years after that." An annotated list of "Some Useful Kinds of Charts" is appended.

Reviewer: Tanya D. Auger | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2023

(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

(1) K-3 The relative sizes of objects can be endlessly fascinating to curious young minds. How many books tall is an eight-year-old? How many eight-year-olds standing on shoulders reach the height of an ostrich? What makes Chin's (Grand Canyon, rev. 1/17; and others) new science picture book exceptional is how far he takes the concept. Beginning with a group of children and a telescope, the story proceeds through imagined scenarios (see: ostrich example above) to compare trees (from oaks to redwoods); buildings (the Eiffel Tower to the Burj Khalifa to the planned kilometer-high Jeddah Tower); objects in space. As we progress through the pages, the units of measurement grow from inches to feet and then miles, until we are measuring in millions of miles and finally light years, as readers discover our place in the Milky Way and beyond. Complex concepts (such as local galaxy groups and super clusters) are clearly defined throughout in simple captions elucidating Chin's watercolor and gouache art. Maintaining accurate scale in the comparisons of earthbound objects throughout the first half of the book introduces the concept of relative size in an easy-to-understand way. When Chin moves out beyond Earth's atmosphere, he takes greater and greater artistic license in his depictions of the inconceivable vastness of our galaxy and everything beyond. Extensive back matter delves deep into current understandings of the size, age, and complexity of the universe. Sources are listed along with child-friendly websites for further exploration of the big and small ideas presented in this out-of-this-world science picture book.

Reviewer: Eric Carpenter | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2020

(1) PS Storytelling Math series. In board book form, Lin accomplishes that most difficult of tasks: creating engaging, accessible, age-level-­appropriate, not-too-fussily illustrated stories that also teach something. In this case it's math. Each entry homes in on a specific mathematical concept, while together providing a tour through the seasons--and a slice-of-life portrait of three friends, Olivia, Mei, and Manny. In the springtime-set Knees, Mei observes measurement and comparison as she cultivates a sunflower. Circle! Sphere! proves the mind-stretching fact that the children's three different-shaped bubble wands produce the same-shaped bubble. Fit’s setting is a fall farmers' market and illustrates Olivia's spatial sense (and taste in ­produce). Wintry Marshmallow touches on division, both ­mathematical (how to split three marshmallows between two girls...) and behavioral (...without ruining the friendship). The illustrations are signature Lin--think The Ugly Vegetables (rev. 9/99) and the Ling and Ting books--with bold, saturated hues; thick black outlines; judicious use of frames; eye-pleasingly tidy details; and nothing extraneous. Brief "Exploring the Math" notes and "Try This!" suggestions, addressed to adults and written by an early math expert, are appended. All together, these diminutive math storybooks add up to a whole lot of fun.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2020

(3) K-3 Pebble Plus: Hands-On Science Fun series. With descriptive directions and large, clear photographs, each appealing volume takes readers step-by-step through a simple experiment then explains the science behind it. A few materials may be hard to find, and the target audience will need adult help, but the concrete examples lend themselves well to the concepts of force (Pom-Pom) and measurement (Wind). Additional content available through the Capstone 4D app. Reading list. Glos., ind. Review covers these Pebble Plus: Hands-On Science Fun titles: How to Make a Pom-Pom Flyer and How to Make a Wind Speed Meter.

Reviewer: Renée Wheeler

(3) K-3 Master Math series. Illustrated by Jo Samways. Clear and colorful, these introductory math books feature hands-on and picture-based activities using the Singapore math approach, in which children progress from concrete to pictorial to abstract understanding of concepts. The content is engaging and pedagogically progressive; many important activities (especially those requiring manipulatives) are described in "Parent and Teacher Guidance" sections, making the series best suited for classroom or homeschool use. Review covers these Master Math titles: Get in Shape, Get to Know Numbers, Measure Up, and Super Calculations.

Reviewer: Tanya D. Auger

(3) K-3 To plan the "Blowout Bug Jamboree," an ant is used as the unit to measure other insects. A simple text makes size comparisons while charts visualize them; later, data is presented with a bar graph and a pie chart. A final gatefold shows all the insects on a "Jamboree Buggy-go-round!" A lively, approachable introduction to nonstandard measurement, comparison, and graphing.

Reviewer: Janet Dawson

(3) K-3 Math Beginnings series. These six colorfully designed books, heavily illustrated with stock photos, contain short chapters introducing math concepts (addition, subtraction, counting); tools (rulers, scales); notations (plus, minus, cent sign); equivalents (coins to dollar bills); and more. The user-friendly books feature large print and real-life examples. Most chapters end with a hands-on activity or question to extend concept learning. An additional activity concludes each book. Glos.

Reviewer: Gail Hedges

(4) K-3 Mouse Math series. Illustrated by Deborah Melmon. Mouse siblings Albert and Wanda find a shoe in the People's yard and want to bring it into their playroom--will it fit? Albert has a birthday party and gets presents of all shapes and sizes. Accompanied by cheery illustrations of friendly mice, the stories are unsubtle but effective vehicles for introducing nonstandard units of measurement (Shoe) and 3D shapes (Wish). Activities appended. Review covers these Mouse Math titles: If the Shoe Fits and Make a Wish, Albert!,

Reviewer: Katrina Hedeen

(4) 4-6 Math Everywhere! series. Challenging multi-step word problems center on everyday activities: shopping, traveling, sports, and cooking. The scenarios and questions are livelier than typical word-problem fare. However, other than definitions of formulas and suggestions for rounding, no problem-solving strategies are suggested or demonstrated. Well-chosen stock photos are included, and detailed answers are appended. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these Math Everywhere! titles: Ball Game Math, Kitchen Math, Math on the Move, and Shopping Trip Math.

Reviewer: Tanya D. Auger

(4) K-3 Animal Math series. These animal-themed volumes introduce early math concepts. Colorful spreads with numerous photos will capture children's interest, though some visuals could be clearer. Questions, examples, and graphic tools (number lines, simple graphs) will get kids thinking and engaged. Monkeys and Cats provide more animal information and photo variety than Ants. Animal facts and Common Core teaching notes are appended. Glos. Review covers these Animal Math titles: Adding with Ants, Comparing with Cats, and Measuring with Monkeys.

Reviewer: Sethany Rancier Alongi

(4) K-3 Wacky Comparisons series. Illustrated by Igor Sinkovec. Two lines of rhyming text combine with cartoony illustrations to convey the concepts of height and weight. The perspectives are entertaining, but some comparisons aren't exactly specific, and many of the rhymes stumble ("How much does a triceratops weigh? / The same as 4.2 million gummy bears, I dare say"). A text box includes measurements in English units with metric equivalents. Reading list. Review covers these Wacky Comparisons titles: How Heavy? and How Tall?.

Reviewer: Katrina Hedeen

(4) K-3 Wacky Comparisons series. Illustrated by Bill Bolton. Two lines of rhyming text combine with cartoony illustrations to convey the concepts of height and weight. The perspectives are entertaining, but some comparisons aren't exactly specific, and many of the rhymes stumble ("How much does a triceratops weigh? / The same as 4.2 million gummy bears, I dare say"). A text box includes measurements in English units with metric equivalents. Reading list. Review covers these Wacky Comparisons titles: How Heavy? and How Tall?.

Reviewer: Katrina Hedeen

(4) 4-6 Illustrated by Wes Lowe. Galat clearly explains the basics of how early navigation worked, the limitations of sailing with just latitude as a marker, and how one man solved the longitude puzzle. Lowe's paintings help set time and place, but human figures are stiff. The complex concepts are best suited for older readers beyond the traditional picture-book age with understanding of math, science, and geography. Timeline.

Reviewer: Maeve Visser Knoth

(4) K-3 Illustrated by Ivica Stevanovic. Using spoons, sausages, etc., a kingdom struggles to get accurate measurements. To decide on an official unit, King Balbazar hatches a contest, the winner of which will marry his daughter. Arzo, who's so poor he has only his feet to measure with, prevails. Deadpan speech-bubble commentary from humorously caricatured kingdom citizens outshines the off-kilter rhymes in this pourquoi tale.

Reviewer: Katrina Hedeen

(4) K-3 A+ Books Bilingüe: Mídelo / Measure It series. Length and Distance shows Sue measuring her pets, her plant, a truck, the depth of a pool, and her own height. Time explains time measurements as Ann's family prepares to go on vacation. Color photos and text are a little awkward in these otherwise helpful bilingual books. Interesting facts about measurement are appended. Websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these A+ Books Bilingüe: Mídelo / Measure It titles: ¿Cómo mides le tiempo? / How Do You Measure Time? and ¿Cómo mides la longitud y la distancia? / How Do You Meaure Length and Distance?.

Reviewer: Tim Wadham

(4) K-3 A+ Books Bilingüe: Mídelo / Measure It series. Length and Distance shows Sue measuring her pets, her plant, a truck, the depth of a pool, and her own height. Time explains time measurements as Ann's family prepares to go on vacation. Color photos and text are a little awkward in these otherwise helpful bilingual books. Interesting facts about measurement are appended. Websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these A+ Books Bilingüe: Mídelo / Measure It titles: ¿Cómo mides le tiempo? / How Do You Measure Time? and ¿Cómo mides la longitud y la distancia? / How Do You Meaure Length and Distance?.

Reviewer: Tim Wadham