Mammoth Math: Everything You Need to Know About Numbers by David Macaulay

~ Janet Dawson ~ 1 Comment

Published by DK Children

Summary:  A wooly mammoth and an elephant shrew take readers on a tour through all different mathematical concepts including counting, number know-how, patterns and sequences, geometry, maps, measurement, and using data.  David Macaulay still has his gift for using illustration to show a variety of concepts, with mammoths and shrews appearing on every page to add plenty of humor.  Includes a reference section with multiplication tables, illustrations showing fractions and percentages, geometrical shapes, units of measurement, and signs and symbols; also, an extensive glossary and an index.  160 pages; grades 2-6.

Pros:  Wasn’t it just a few weeks ago that I said there aren’t enough good math books in the world?  This one is amazing, with so many topics covered, great illustrations, and plenty of humor.  Math fans will have fun just browsing through it, and teachers will find it useful to engage those who aren’t yet fans.

Cons:  Somehow, I missed Mammoth Science, which came out in 2020.

Too Pig to Fail: A Batpig Book by Rob Harrell

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Published by Dial Books

Summary:  In this second installment of the Batpig series, Gary uses his superpowers in two stories.  First, math class seems interminable for him and his friends, and eventually they discover it’s not just their imaginations.  Kindly janitor Mr. Guffen has turned into evil villain Time Guy and has complete control of the passage of time.  Batpig finds a way to rescue the hapless math students and turn Time Guy back to his old self based on the idea that time flies when you’re having fun.  The second story sees Gary/Batpig foiling an attack by evil aliens who unleash a shower of smelly gym socks and a half-bumblebee-half-kitten monster on the town.  248 pages; grades 2-5.

Pros:  Another entry in the “for fans of Dog Man” genre that will have kids laughing and quickly turning the pages to see how Gary and his friends defeat the bad guys.  You might want to direct them to When Pigs Fly (book 1) before reading this one.

Cons:  It’s embarrassing how frequently I laughed out loud at the humor meant for 8-year-olds.

Kapaemahu by Hinaleimoana Wong-Kalu Dean Hamer, and Joe Wilson, illustrated by Daniel Sousa

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Published by Kokila

Summary:  This Hawaiian legend tells the story of four healers, or mahu, who traveled from Tahiti.  They were neither male nor female, but “a mixture of both in mind, heart, and spirit.”  Each one had their own healing power: spiritual, all-seeing, healing from afar, and laying on of hands.  After bequeathing their powers on the people of the island, the Hawaiians wanted to build a monument to show their gratitude.  They moved four huge boulders onto the beach at Waikiki.  Even after the mahu left, the stones remained for many centuries until more and more people arrived in Hawaii and the area was built up.  The stones have been recovered, but the true nature of the mahu has often been written out of the story.  This book (and the film on which it is based) seeks to correct that.  Includes authors’ notes, a history of the healer stones, additional information about the Olelo Niihau language, and a glossary.  40 pages; grades 1-5.

Pros:  Written in both English and the indigenous Hawaiian Olelo Niihau language, this beautiful legend inspired both this book and a short film, released in 2021.  The author’s note reveals that the nature of the mahu was removed from the story for many years, due to their possession of both male and female spirits.  An excellent addition to collections of both folklore and bilingual books.

Cons:  A Google search revealed to me that the stones are popularly known as the Wizard Stones, which feels like kind of a trivialization of the true story. 

Emile and the Field by Kevin Young illustrated by Chioma Ebinama

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Published by Make Me a World

Summary:  “There was a boy named Emile/who fell in love with a field.”  Emile loves the flowers and insects he finds in the field and how the colors change with the seasons.  He wonders if the field ever misses seeing things like the sea or skyscrapers or airplanes (up close).  What he doesn’t like is when snow covers the field and other kids come to play there.  His dad reminds him that the field doesn’t belong to him, and that if other people love it like Emile does, they’ll help him take care of it so that it can be there forever.  Includes a note from Make Me a World’s Christopher Myers.  40 pages; ages 4-8.

Pros:  The lyrical rhyming-ish text and dreamy watercolor illustrations will help readers appreciate nature and realize that the beautiful things in the world are made for us to share.  Definitely a book for Caldecott or Coretta Scott King consideration.

Cons:  While Christopher Myers’s note is addressed to readers, it seems more directed to adults.

Freewater by Amina Luqman-Dawson

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Published by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Summary:  In the author’s note, we learn that during slavery, enslaved people sometimes escaped into the swamps and lived there for years.  This story imagines such a community called Freewater, populated by those who escaped slavery and their children who have only known freedom.  Homer and Ada accidentally stumble upon Freewater while trying to escape north.  They’re taken in and soon get to know the different people there and the ways they’ve developed to survive and avoid capture.  But Homer is harboring a secret: he feels like it’s his fault that his mama was caught and sent back to the plantation the night of their escape.  Through his first-person narration and the third-person stories of many other characters from both the plantation and Freewater, the reader slowly learns of a plan to return and free Mama.  Each person has a part to play in the fiery and satisfying climax of the story, and the last page suggests a happy ending for all of them.  Includes an author’s note.  416 pages; grades 5-8.

Pros:  I’m always wowed when an author hits a home run with a debut novel. Amina Luqman-Dawson had done that here with a complex historical fiction story that will stay with readers long after the last page.  A definite contender for either Newbery or Coretta Scott King awards.

Cons:  Some reviewers recommend this for as young as third grade.  With the many characters, the shift between first-person and third-person narration, the unfamiliar setting, and the 400-page length, it requires a pretty sophisticated reader.

To Change a Planet by Christina Soontornvat, illustrated by Rahele Jomepour Bell

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Published by Scholastic Press

Summary:  One person, one carbon molecule, one degree of warmth can all seem insignificant, but when they are multiplied, they can wreak havoc on a planet.  Likewise, one person can also feel insignificant when it comes to making positive changes to help our planet, but combined with the efforts of others, they can make a real difference.  Includes back matter with additional information about climate change and what people can do to make a difference.  40 pages; ages 4-8.

Pros:  A perfect introduction to climate change and the need for environmental activism.  The text is spare, just a sentence or two per page, but it really shows the impact, both positive and negative, of small changes.  The colorful illustrations help show this as well.

Cons:  I find every book about climate change anxiety-inducing.

A Synagogue Just Like Home by Alice Blumenthal McGinty, illustrated by Laurel Molk

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Published by Candlewick

Summary:  Rabbi Ruben loves his synagogue and its congregants, but it’s clear that the old building needs some work.  He sets out to fix the drafty windows, the creaky library floor, and the leaky kitchen sink, ignoring offers of help from his friends.  Friday night Shabbat services go off without a hitch, but afterward, some playful kids pull down the tablecloths he used around the windows, a floorboard pops up in the library, and worst of all, the kitchen sink causes a flood.  The whole community convinces Rabbi Ruben to accept their help and expertise, leading to lasting renovations for all of them to enjoy.  Includes a glossary.  40 pages; ages 4-8.

Pros:  An excellent portrayal of community with a Jewish setting that’s not represented as often enough in children’s books.  There’s plenty of humor in the story and the illustrations for readers to enjoy.

Cons:  It’s not clear how all those repairs are financed.

Lola Out Loud: Inspired by the Childhood of Activist Dolores Huerta by Jennifer Torres, illustrated by Sara Palacios

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Published by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Summary:  Lola loves helping out at the hotel where she lives with her mother and grandfather.  Her mother is always ready to help guests; if they don’t have money to pay, she’ll accept food or even just a handshake and a promise.  Lola is an enthusiastic worker, but she sometimes gets in trouble for talking too much.  “Lolita Siete Lenguas (seven tongues)” her grandfather calls her teasingly, reminding her that sometimes it’s good to be quiet but other times “one strong voice is just what we need.”  Lola remembers this lesson when she’s the only one who sees a woman and girl thrown off the streetcar in front of her house because they can’t pay the fare.  She stays quiet about the two at first, but, remembering Grandpa’s words, she rallies her family and the other hotel guests to help them, using words that she would later become famous for, “¡SÍ se puede!”  Includes additional information about the labor leader Lola grew up to be: Dolores Huerta.  32 pages; ages 4-8.

Pros:  Keep this book in mind for the upcoming Hispanic Heritage Month, especially if you’re looking for something for younger readers.  They’ll enjoy the story of young Lola, learn a little about Dolores Huerta, and take away an empowering message about using your voice to speak up about injustice. The illustrations add just the right touch of fun and energy.

Cons:  It would have been nice to have a list of additional resources for older kids to dive into.


A Spoonful of Frogs by Casey Lyall, illustrated by Vera Brosgol

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Published by Greenwillow Books

Summary:  A witch hosting a cooking show is teaching her viewers how to make frog soup.  “It’s easy to make and healthy, too.”  She puts the ingredients in a cauldron: carrots, potatoes, 22 cloves of garlic, a cup of fly extract.  Then it’s time for the frogs, guaranteed to add “a kick of flavor and a pop of color.”  Carefully, she lowers her wooden spoon into a tank full of frogs, and then…for the next 20 pages, she chases after the frogs who escape from the tank, hop through the kitchen, jump out a window, and travel across a city street to a pond.  The witch is in hot pursuit, trying everything she knows to catch just one frog, but in the end, she has to substitute a spoonful of pickles.  “Enjoy with friends,” she tells viewers on the last page, sipping her soup surrounded by frogs perched on the edge of the bowl.  40 pages; ages 3-8.

Pros:  A fun book to read at Halloween or any time of year.  It’s Halloween-ish without specifically mentioning the holiday. Kids will laugh out loud at the slapstick illustrations.

Cons:  No recipe?

Nana, Nenek, & Nina by Liza Ferneyhough

~ Janet Dawson ~ 1 Comment

Published by Dial Books

Summary:  Nina’s grandmothers live a world away: Nana is in England and Nenek is in Malaysia.  Nina and her family are in San Francisco, so they fly toward the rising sun to get to Nana and toward the setting sun for visits to Nenek.  Nina compares the two homes: there are different toys, languages, clothes, climates, and food.  When Nina’s at home, she misses her grandmothers; when she’s visiting one, she misses home.  But no matter what, Nana and Nenek love her visits and both are good at tucking her into bed each night.  32 pages; ages 4-8.

Pros:  A loving and kid-friendly description of what it’s like to grow up with families from two different cultures.  Both the text and the illustrations do a great job of comparing and contrasting.

Cons:  A map to show the three different locations would have been helpful.