Review by Booklist Review
Meet the lovable Wing Wing Brothers, five comical, costumed characters with bird features as well as human ones (birdlike feet, humanoid arms, birdlike beaks, gleaming teeth). Their three-act stage show includes two brothers engaged in competitive plate-juggling, one brother juggling pies, and all five mysteriously disappearing into and reappearing from a large box. All these activities lend themselves to mathematical expressions that change to reflect events in the stories. Throughout the book, mathematical symbols such as >, <, +, -, and = are used. The text and illustrations combine to make their meanings easier to grasp. Created in pencil and digitally colored, Long's zany illustrations use cartoon-style panels to tell the three little stories, each ending in a climax featuring broad humor. With a final-page note on how the book meets Common Core State Standards for kindergarten mathematics, this lively picture book has a practical purpose as well as a well-developed sense of fun.--Phelan, Carolyn Copyright 2010 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
In comic book-style panels, Long augments a circus routine-performed by five bug-eyed ducks punnily dubbed the Wing Wing Brothers-with simple math lessons. Act one, which involves balancing spinning plates, introduces the idea of greater than, less than, and equal to: "Wendell now has eight plates. Willy still has five plates" (and after both ducks lose control, they are left with "the same number again": zero). Both the second and third acts of the ducks' show focus on addition and subtraction through pie juggling (and throwing), and a mysterious box that causes the duck brothers to disappear. Readers won't know what to expect next as Long demonstrates spot-on comedic timing while explaining each concept clearly. Math has rarely been this much fun. Ages 4-6. (Aug.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreK-Gr 1-What can you learn from a bird? The Wing Wing Brothers juggle pies and spin plates to demonstrate greater than, less than, and equal to along with addition and subtraction. And the birds of Up! fly, fall, and mount stilts to explain how up, tall, and high are similar but not identical. Cartoony art adds a friendly wink. (c) Copyright 2013. 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 Kirkus Book Review
The vaudevillian Wing Wing Brothers' attempts to outdo and upstage each other are sure to cause some gigglesand ideally some math learning, as well. Act 1 is all about comparing amounts and introduces children to the equal, less-than and greater-than signs. Wendell and Wilmer try to one-up each other in the number of spinning plates they are able to balance. In the end, 10=10 predictably becomes 0=0. Act 2 focuses on addition and subtraction and stars Willy, who holds one pie. His brothers each try to nail him with more pies, but he just adds them to his juggling act. When Willy is juggling 4+1=5 pies, the slapstick ending (and subsequent subtraction problem) is not hard to guess. The third act mixes up the addition and subtraction problems with a magic box that causes the brothers to appear and disappear. When all the brothers disappear into the box, green clouds give a hint as to the final slapstick joke. Long seems to know just how long to draw out the shtick so it doesn't lose readers' attention, ending on a comical high note. His humorous illustrationsblack pencil outlines with digital color that are reminiscent of Mo Willems' pigeonwill keep kids riveted with the birds' fantastically expressive faces. This is how learning math should bepainless, comical and, yes, spectacular. (Math picture book. 4-8)]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
