Measuring Penny

by Loreen Leedy, Loreen Leedy (Illustrator)

Overview

Lisa has an important homework assignment—to measure something in several different ways. She has to use standard units like inches and nonstandard units like paper clips to find out height, width, length, weight, volume, temperature, and time. Lisa decides to measure her dog, Penny, and finds out ...

Penny's nose = 1 inch long
Penny's tail = 1 dog biscuit long
Penny's paw print = 3 centimeters wide

... and that's only the beginning! Lisa learns a lot about her dog and about measuring, and even has fun doing it.

This clear and engaging concept book, delivered with a sense of humor, is certain to win over the most reluctant mathematician.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780805065725
Publisher:	Square Fish
Publication date:	09/01/2000
Series:	Penny
Edition description:	First Edition
Pages:	32
Sales rank:	73,577
Product dimensions:	9.10(w) x 11.00(h) x 0.09(d)
Lexile:	AD500L (what's this?)
Age Range:	5 - 8 Years

About the Author

Loreen Leedy is the author/illustrator of many children's books, including It's Probably Penny and Mapping Penny's World. Born in Wilmington, Delaware, she majored in art in college but wasn't sure what kind of artist she wanted to be. She started out making jewelry in the shape of pigs, cats, dragons, and other animals, and then one day she started making book characters out of her animals. She is skilled at making concepts fun and accessible to children, and often speaks at conferences and in schools throughout the United States. She lives with her husband in central Florida.

Editorial Reviews

Leedy offers another winning math-concept book. . . . Readers have the opportunity to learn about measuring as well as glean a lot of information about keeping a canine. A great introduction to the subject, and one that tells a good story, too.” —School Library Journal, starred review

“A terrific pedagogical idea from Leedy that offers instruction and no small dose of delight.” —Kirkus Reviews, pointer

“Perfect for classroom use, but it's also not much of a stretch to imagine children at home whipping out measuring devices and cornering their pets.” —Booklist, starred review

From the Publisher

Gr 2-4Leedy offers another winning math-concept book. Lisa has a homework assignment to measure something in as many ways as she can, using standard and nonstandard units. "Use your imagination!" is the last instruction the teacher gives the students. Lisa chooses her Boston terrier and the fun begins. She measures Penny and a variety of other dogs. In the process, readers learn that Penny's nose is one inch long. Her tail is one biscuit long. She is bigger than a pug, smaller than a cocker spaniel, and weighs about the same as a Shetland Sheepdog. Lisa measures how much her pet eats, how high she jumps, how much time it takes to care for her, how much money is invested in her, how fast Penny runs, and a variety of other doggie traits. The results are shared with readers through charts, graphs, and reports. Large, uncluttered earth-toned pastel acrylics create a pleasing look in this clever concept book. Readers have the opportunity to learn about measuring as well as glean a lot of information about keeping a canine. A great introduction to the subject, and one that tells a good story, too.Jane Claes, T. J. Lee Elementary School, Irving, TX

School Library Journal

A terrific pedagogical idea from Leedy (Mission: Addition, 1997, etc.) that offers instruction and no small dose of delight. Lisa's teacher assigns the middle graders to measure something both in standard units, e.g., inches and teaspoons, and in nonstandard units, e.g., in pencils or toes. Lisa measures her Boston terrier, Penny, discovering that Penny's ear is one cotton swab long (a basset hound's is three), and that she can jump as high as Lisa's waist. Other measurements are given in dog biscuits, centimeters, and the time it takes, for example, to walk Penny or to see her dash from her bed to her dish (six seconds). The illustrations, done in a primitive style with acrylics, offer solid figures and recognizable dog breeds; the design is carefully thought out and very clear. Readers will be inspired to measure their own pets; it will be up to their pets, of course, to cooperate. (Picture book. 6-9)

Kirkus Reviews