Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Hannigan (Gwendolyn Grace) introduces a heroine whose imagination soars sky-high as she plays with her dog. The endpapers offer a preview of the creative role-play within, presenting a bird's-eye view of the girl's yard complete with a key ("tree house = airplane"; "front porch = pirate ship"). Equations set up the girl's pretend-play scenarios ("Sheet + Flowerpot + Stick = Her Majesty, the Queen"), and Hannigan uses watercolors and digital embellishments to bring the fantasies to life. The merging of mathematical equations and imaginative play is clever, but the story falls short in a few areas. The girl and her faithful dog (who serves as her trusty knight, first mate on a pirate ship, and more) are expressive, but the rough-hewn watercolor portraits never feel at home in their slickly digital surroundings. A couple of potentially jarring moments during their adventures-the girl jumps from her tree house using a bed sheet as an (ineffective) parachute and later pretends to drown in her kiddie pool-leave this equation not quite adding up. Ages 4-8. Agent: Victoria Wells Arms, Wells Arms Literary. (July) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 1-Math and mud combine in this energetic picture book. A young girl spends the day playing with her dog, using items found in her backyard and her imagination. "Hose + High Up = Shower" and "Blue Sky + Breeze = Flying" are just two of many equations found throughout the text. Eventually the pup grows tired of the girl's antics and doesn't want to play anymore. However, her pal quickly comes to the rescue when the child pretends to need saving from a giant squid in a kiddie pool. While the story idea is a great one, the text stumbles and doesn't hit the mark. The overused equation becomes tiresome, and deciphering the dog's howls and barks on every page quickly loses its appeal. The slightly muted watercolor illustrations convey the text well but aren't enough to save the book. VERDICT While charming in concept, this title is not a must-buy. Look instead to Amy Krouse Rosenthal's This Plus That: Life's Little Equations to fill any equation-related gaps in collections.-Brooke Newberry, La Crosse Public Library, WI © Copyright 2016. 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
Playful equations and the accompanying illustrations highlight the fun-filled day had by a girl and her dog: e.g., "sheet + flowerpot + stick = her majesty, the queen (+ knight)." The loving friendship is clearly depicted in the flat watercolor and digital illustrations. However, while the concept is creative, the execution is cumbersome: the dog-speak translation and ever-wordier equations get tedious. (c) Copyright 2017. 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
A little girl and her dog play outdoors in a story that utilizes math and science concepts.The unnamed, light-skinned, tutu-clad girl who narrates the story has a big imagination suited to creative play. She imagines herself as a queen, a pilot, and a pirate captain, with the dog assigned secondary roles in her imagined play settings. The dog speaks in its own canine language, with English translations provided. The brief text is primarily the girl's commentary on their activities, integrated with a series of addition equations following the pattern set by the title. Each equation relates to a different experience of pretend play, building to more complicated structures by the end. Bold, computer-generated illustrations capture the girl's spunky personality and the dog's faithful, sometimes-feisty reactions, with lots of dialogue lines integrated into the art. The math equations are set in all capital letters, sometimes stretching over several pages to accommodate the plot. This two-tiered approach (story plus math equations to describe the plot) is a bit tricky to negotiate on first reading, but the structure is ultimately successful if readers are willing to look at things a little differently. An additional layer of meaning is provided by a map on the end pages illustrating the girl's home base, with a key to the common objects transformed into play props.A creative approach + math and science + a map = a book that both entertains and teaches. (Picture book. 4-8) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
