Lifetime

Starred review from September 23, 2013
Schaefer (One Special Day) and Neal (Over and Under the Snow) use traits and developmental milestones of 11 species as a way to take full measure of animal lives, and the result is as intriguing as it is gorgeous. Readers visit a silvery forest, where “In one lifetime, this woodpecker”—a handsome fellow with a bright red crest, seen simultaneously perched on trees and peering out of holes—“will drill 30 roosting holes in the woods. Rat-a-tat-tat-tat-tat!” Did Neal really draw 900 flowers in meadow (the number a swallowtail butterfly visits during a lifespan) or 1,000 “teeny-weeny, squiggly-wiggly” seahorse babies (the number a male seahorse carries and births)? It looks like he probably did. But those who would rather trust than verify won’t miss out—the stylized nature vignettes, rendered in the flat, vivid colors of poster art, offer rewards to both close, numbers-minded readers and those who simply want to savor the wonder of it all. Back matter includes information on each species as well as how to compute averages and solve story problems. Ages 4–8. Author’s agent: Rosemary Stimola, Stimola Literary Studio.

August 1, 2013
An original concept that begins simply and ends up surprisingly--and somewhat confusingly--complex. Award winner Schaefer and illustrator Neal team up to create a picture book about the number of times particular events occur in the lifetimes of 11 different animals. Neal's illustrations--appealingly retro in their understated style and muted color scheme--accurately portray the numeric facts presented: "In one lifetime, this female red kangaroo will birth 50 joeys"--and voila, there's a double-page spread of 50 baby kangaroos. Readers (or listeners) will enjoy counting the joeys, sea horses, alligator eggs or spots on the giraffe. It's all fun and games until the backmatter arrives. Then, facts about each animal (Latin name, habitat, lifespan) and convoluted mathematical explanations of how Schaefer arrived at each of her numbers are presented. A more child-friendly explanation of averages and how to calculate them follows. Readers are invited to use this newly acquired knowledge to ponder two math word problems given at the end of the book. Is this book about the natural world? Counting? Statistics? Solving math word problems? It's hard to say. A great deal of information is presented, for a range of ages. Kudos for not dumbing it down, however. A more cohesive theme would make for a more understandable overall presentation, but readers will get their money's worth. (Informational picture book. 4-8)

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October 1, 2013

K-Gr 4-This addition to animal counting books mixes in science and mathematical processing to share numbers from behaviors or events occurring over an animal's lifetime. The count begins with the single egg sac a cross spider produces in its lifetime. The count continues with 10 sets of antlers a caribou grows, then 20 fleeces for a llama, and up to 50 before it skips to 100, 200, 550, 900 and 1,000. Each spread highlights a different insect, animal, or plant. The main text is minimal and suitable for storytime while the back is appropriate for older readers, providing background information on each animal and an explanation of how the numbers were derived. Additional pages explain how an average is calculated and the author's love of math. The illustrations are stylized, using high contrast to ease counting and improve legibility, although numbers beyond 200 will require very determined numerists. This book will be useful for units on integrating literature into math instruction.-Carol S. Surges, formerly at Longfellow Middle School, Wauwatosa, WI

Copyright 2013 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 1, 2013
Preschool-G Schaefer combines her interest in animals and her fascination with numbers, using sparse text to introduce both animals and a numerical fact about a specific characteristic of each animal. An introduction provides the caveat that approximations differ depending on many factors in the life of the animal. The text is matter-of-fact, and the colors of the mixed-media illustrations subdued, but they complement each other in tone. It takes a bit to realize that Neal's illustration for each animal matches the number Schaefer uses in the text. For instance, the illustration for sea horses has 1,000 teeny-weeny, squiggly-wiggly baby sea horses. (Feel up to counting all of them?) Thankfully, as part of the back matter, Schaefer adds detailed information about each animal and its life span, how she calculated the estimations she uses throughout the book, two animal math problems to solve, and more. Fills a clever niche for both animal science and mathematics.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2013, American Library Association.)