Review by Booklist Review
Ages 4-7. Lisa and her pet boxer, Penny, familiar to many youngsters from Measuring Penny (1998) return, this time discovering maps. After learning in school about maps and their parts--the key and symbols, labels, scale, and more--Lisa applies her newfound mapmaking skills to Penny's world. She makes maps of her room (which Penny shares), her yard (full of Penny's hiding places), the neighborhood (and the routes Penny's dog friends use when they visit), and the local park. As Lisa creates her maps, she explains their function and the tools she uses, such as a pedometer. She also includes a three-dimensional, clay-and-cardboard map and many drawings. Young readers will enjoy both Leedy's cheerful pictures and the narrative about Lisa and her engaging dog as they explore a familiar world from an unfamiliar perspective. Great for inspiring children to map their own world, putting a ruler to everything in sight. --Catherine Andronik
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 1-3-Lisa and her dog from Measuring Penny (Holt, 1998) are back. Since the girl's class is learning about maps, she decides to draw one of her bedroom and then makes a few for her Boston terrier. These maps show where the pet has hidden her toys and treats, the best route for a neighboring animal to take to their house, biking and hiking trails (Penny rides in the bike basket), and a 3-D map of places where the pup likes to play. Lisa explains terms such as "key," "scale," and "symbol," and introduces tools such as pedometers and odometers. The concepts are clear, and the digital-painting and photo-collage illustrations are uncluttered and ably clarify the text. However, one illustration of Penny looking through a fish tank superimposed on a picture of Lisa's room might be confusing to some young readers. While the animal seems less a fully realized pet than a device for introducing maps, readers will enjoy traveling with this duo and learn much in the process. Libraries will welcome this as a complement to other books that introduce spatial concepts such as Gail Hartman's As the Crow Flies (Aladdin, 1993) and Joan Sweeney's Me on the Map (Crown, 1996).-Louise L. Sherman, formerly at Anna C. Scott School, Leonia, NJ (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
After learning about maps in school, Lisa draws a few of her own, including her bedroom, her dog Penny's favorite spots to hide bones and toys, and some of their other hangouts. Leedy's text and illustrations, a combination of digital painting and photo-collage, point out important details, such as a map's scale and symbols. Lisa's enthusiasm is catching: young readers will be eager to grab pencil and paper and try out mapmaking, too. From HORN BOOK Spring 2001, (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Leedy (Celebrate the 50 States!, 1999, etc.) has a gift for presenting concepts wrapped in stories both easily assimilated and engaging. Here, Lisa and her Boston terrier, Penny, last seen in Measuring Penny (1998), tackle maps and mapping. Mr. Jayson, Lisa's teacher, shows what's important to include in a map, with illustrations of the map key, symbols, labels, the compass rose, and the scale--each carefully explained. Lisa decides to map her bedroom, complete with all the essential parts. Then she makes a treasure map for all the things Penny has buried in the back yard. She draws a directional map to show how Penny's doggy friend Maxine takes a short cut to get to Penny's house, and Lisa uses an odometer and pedometer to map the bike and hiking trails in the park. Not to neglect Penny, she builds a three-dimensional map to show all of Penny's favorite places to fetch or to bark at squirrels. Lisa dreams of traveling with Penny to faraway places, too. Leedy's blocky forms and poster paint colors (created with digital painting and photo collage) are a fine foil for the clear text, which teaches without patronizing. (Picture book/nonfiction. 7-9) Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
