Counting in Dog Years and Other Sassy Math Poems by Betsy Franco, Priscilla Tey
Published by Candlewick Press on October 11, 2022
Pages: 40
Genres: Fiction in Verse/Poetry
Format: Picture Book Nonfiction
Goodreads

Illustrated with whimsical, full-color artwork throughout, this book of fun and educational poems about math ranges from everyday topics, such as age and days of the week, to more advanced concepts, such as palindromes and tessellation. This very creative collection includes a poem for two voices and a poem that is a puzzle (with answers included at the end of the book). The illustrations are fanciful and inclusive, and follow the themes of the poetry well.

Overall, this fun collection introduces readers to many ways math touches our lives, oftentimes without our awareness. I think this book might be an excellent way to entice “math atheists” (to borrow a term from Calvin & Hobbes) to consider mathematical word problems an enjoyable challenge. It could also serve to show the more analytically minded child that wordplay can contribute to the joy of numbers. Highly recommended.

Reviewed by Crystal Wilder, University of Southern Maine, Gorham Campus Library