The Warlord's Alarm, A Mathematical Adventure
Grade 1-4–The seventh entry in a series of mathematical adventures, this clever book reads like a folktale. The story is set in ancient China, where young Chuan and his friend Jing Jing are traveling with a powerful warlord to the emperor's palace. Chuan is given the responsibility of awakening their master four hours before sunrise but the boy has no way of telling time. By combining keen observation skills with ingenuity, the two friends devise a water clock to wake up Chuan at just the right moment. Colorful, eye-pleasing paintings depict grand spreads filled with people, buildings, and natural scenery. Careful attention is paid to details, and close-ups of the characters and important objects keep the focus on the plot. A brief history of Chinese water clocks is appended, along with instructions for a math-related craft. Children who like to invent, create, and problem-solve will enjoy this book. It can be shared for the appealing story as well as for the concept, and could lead to discussions of ways to tell time without clocks, electricity, or common modern devices.–Erlene Bishop Killeen, Fox Prairie Elementary School, Stoughton, WICopyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.