Trudy Harris writes books that both educate and entertain. She has
written a number of successful math concept books, including:
Pattern Bugs, 20 Hungry Piggies, Jenny Found a Penny, The Clock
Struck One, and Tally Cat Keeps Track. Trudy loves reading picture
books to her grandchildren and to her students at Temple View
Elementary in Idaho Falls, Idaho.
Ivica Stevanovic has illustrated numerous picture books, as well as
book covers and graphic novels. He lives in Veternik, Serbia, with
his wife, who is also a children's illustrator, and their daughter.
A clever princess and a simple man solve a measurement problem and
find true love in this fairy-tale-like math story.When King
Balbazar and his subjects have trouble making doors and drapes and
robes fit, the king decides to hold a contest to find a standard
unit of measurement, a husband for his daughter and his
successor--he wants to retire. Princess Star judges the contest,
dressed as a peasant, her basket hiding a crown for the winner. But
things look glum when the men begin measuring with nuts, swords (of
different sizes), goats and even pickles. It takes a simple man
with no belongings--and no shoes--to come up with the foot as a
unit of measure. And the rest is history...although an author's
'foot note' explains what is really known about the origins of a
foot. Harris' ABCB rhyming verses have a nice rhythm to them and
some interesting pairings--sickles with pickles. But the
speech-bubble asides that are integral to the tale do not rhyme,
and this detracts from the flow of the text. Stevanovic's
cartoonish illustrations are filled with detail, but his characters
steal the show, their pointy and/or pendulous noses and appendages
lending each a distinct personality.Though it is regrettable that
in neither story nor note the metric system, the international
standard, is mentioned, still, save about half an inch (or roughly
1 cm) on your shelves for this one. (Math picture book. 4-8)
--Kirkus Reviews-- "Journal"
Long ago, in a kingdom far away, the people were plagued by the
lack of a standard measure. They used spoons and sausages and
candles to quantify the length of objects. As a result, drapes were
too long, robes were too short, and roofs did not properly cover
houses. King Balbazar was at his wit's end so he decided to hold a
contest. The one who could devise a sensible unit of measurement
would become king and win the hand of the princess. Men came from
far and near with all kinds of ideas, but it was a simple man named
Arzo who--for lack of anything else--used his feet. He became king,
and the official unit of measurement became the size of his foot.
This clever account, told in rhyme, alludes to the basis for most
of today's standard measurement: the human body. Youngsters will
enjoy the failed attempts of using walnuts, swords, rowboats,
goats, and even pickles to measure distance. The exaggerated,
colorful cartoon illustrations are humorous and appealing. Fans of
the author's other math concept books will be delighted with this
offering, too. --School Library Journal-- "Journal"
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