Sizing Up Winter

K-Gr 2—Using familiar animals such as cardinals, otters, and porcupines as well as the lesser-known snow fleas, musk oxen, and ptarmigans, Flatt takes readers on a mathematical, seasonal journey. Facts about the animals and the weather share space with measurement problems including distance, time, height, weight, length, area, and mass. The text, mostly in rhyming prose, and the accompanying math problems, which relate to the illustrations, can make for two separate reading experiences. Some sophisticated vocabulary ("capacity," "analog") makes this title better for adult/child sharing than independent reading. "Nature Notes" expand on the brief information about the animals highlighted in the text. Barron's full-page, cut-paper collages use a full palette of color and manage to instill subtle personality into the animals without sacrificing realism. Although most of the pictures show a snowy landscape, there is an acknowledgement that winter may look different depending on where one lives. CChildren who peruse the illustrations carefully and welcome the challenge of problem solving will enjoy this book.—Sara-Jo Lupo Sites, George F. Johnson Memorial Library, Endicott, NY