Mapping Penny's World
Grade 1-3-Lisa and her dog from Measuring Penny (Holt, 1998) are back. Since the girl's class is learning about maps, she decides to draw one of her bedroom and then makes a few for her Boston terrier. These maps show where the pet has hidden her toys and treats, the best route for a neighboring animal to take to their house, biking and hiking trails (Penny rides in the bike basket), and a 3-D map of places where the pup likes to play. Lisa explains terms such as "key," "scale," and "symbol," and introduces tools such as pedometers and odometers. The concepts are clear, and the digital-painting and photo-collage illustrations are uncluttered and ably clarify the text. However, one illustration of Penny looking through a fish tank superimposed on a picture of Lisa's room might be confusing to some young readers. While the animal seems less a fully realized pet than a device for introducing maps, readers will enjoy traveling with this duo and learn much in the process. Libraries will welcome this as a complement to other books that introduce spatial concepts such as Gail Hartman's As the Crow Flies (Aladdin, 1993) and Joan Sweeney's Me on the Map (Crown, 1996).Louise L. Sherman, formerly at Anna C. Scott School, Leonia, NJCopyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.