We all know a million is lots, and we all have trouble visualizing how much. What Schwartz's Marvelossissimo the Mathematical Magician does is give the concept some concrete form in four wide-eyed examples. First, "If one million kids climbed onto one another's shoulders, they would be. . .farther up than airplanes can fly." And finally, "If this book had a million tiny stars, they would fill 70 pages. Climb aboard"—for a balloon trip through just seven star-dotted pages, whereupon a lunch break is declared. As these mind-bogglers may not mean much without comparisons, Schwartz extends the same references to picture a billion (here the human tower "would stand up past the moon") and, finally, a trillion, where the pages of stars are now a roll of paper "stretching from New York to New Zealand." As proof that this isn't mere wand-waving, an appendix furnishes doubters with the calculations through which Schwartz arrived at his statements. Aside from that, the only numerals in sight are on a pre-title page, in a column showing 1 to 1,000,000 stacked up by factors of ten. This isn't much of an arithmetic lesson, but as an exercise in imagining, it gets a boost from Kellogg, whose pictures always seem to be bursting with stars and extravagance and punctuation-marked wonder.
Pub Date: May 17, 1985
ISBN: 978-0-688-04049-9
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Lothrop, Lee & Shepard
Review Posted Online: March 7, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 1985
A festive invitation to creative liberation.
A pleasingly tactile exploration of the possibilities inherent in mistakes.
"A torn piece of paper... / is just the beginning!" Spills, folded paper, drips of paint, smudges and smears—they "all can make magic appear." An increasingly complex series of scenarios celebrates random accidents, encouraging artistic experimentation rather than discouragement. The folded-over paper can be a penguin's head; a torn piece of newsprint can turn into a smiling dog with a little application of paint; a hot-chocolate stain can become a bog for a frog. Thanks to a telescoping pop-up, a hole is filled with nearly limitless possibilities. The interactive elements work beautifully with the photo-collaged "mistakes," never overwhelming the intent with showiness. Saltzberg's trademark cartoon animals provide a sweetly childlike counterpoint to the artful scribbles and smears of gloppy paint.
A festive invitation to creative liberation. (Pop-up. 4-12)Pub Date: Sept. 23, 2010
ISBN: 978-0-7611-5728-1
Page Count: 28
Publisher: Workman
Review Posted Online: Dec. 10, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2010
A lovely encouragement to young writers to persist.
This follow-up to How To Read a Story (2005) shows a child going through the steps of creating a story, from choosing an idea through sharing with friends.
A young black child lies in a grassy field writing in a journal, working on “Step 1 / Search for an Idea— / a shiny one.” During a walk to the library, various ideas float in colorful thought bubbles, with exclamation points: “playing soccer! / dogs!” Inside the library, less-distinct ideas, expressed as shapes and pictures, with question marks, float about as the writer collects ideas to choose from. The young writer must then choose a setting, a main character, and a problem for that protagonist. Plotting, writing with detail, and revising are described in child-friendly terms and shown visually, in the form of lists and notes on faux pieces of paper. Finally, the writer sits in the same field, in a new season, sharing the story with friends. The illustrations feature the child’s writing and drawing as well as images of imagined events from the book in progress bursting off the page. The child’s main character is an adventurous mermaid who looks just like the child, complete with afro-puff pigtails, representing an affirming message about writing oneself into the world. The child’s family, depicted as black, moves in the background of the setting, which is also populated by a multiracial cast.
A lovely encouragement to young writers to persist. (Informational picture book. 6-10)Pub Date: July 7, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-4521-5666-8
Page Count: 36
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Review Posted Online: March 28, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2020
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