THE WING WING BROTHERS CARNIVAL DE MATH
by Ethan Long ; illustrated by Ethan Long
The first, fabulous vaudevillian math escapades of the Wing Wing Brothers (The Wing Wing Brothers Math Spectacular, 2012) give way to this lackluster second adventure at a carnival, with the action divided into three amusements.
Focusing on counting to 100 by 10s, the first amusement finds the five brothers competing to ring the bell at the top of a strength tower. While each brother does better than the last, the fifth one providing the slapstick they are known for, and each scores a multiple of 10, there is no counting here. The second amusement at least involves math: Each brother has a tray of 10, 20 or 30 wieners, which readers count as they come to the table, then subtract as the brothers gorge themselves sick. The last episode puts the brothers on the Wedgie Wheel. Readers add and subtract by 10s and 20s as the ride stops at each car, loading and unloading passengers. Prominent mathematical equations in a large red typeface help readers with the math in the last two amusements, though since the answers are included, they don’t really have to think at all. Long’s pencil-and-digital illustrations are still comical, but the slapstick just isn’t as funny this time around.
Ultimately, this lacks the solid and seamless math practice of the first; it’s just some math annoyingly mixed with a few kinda-funny jokes.
(Math picture book. 4-8)