HOW LONG OR HOW WIDE?

This third in the Math is CATegorical series measures up quite nicely. Covering inches, feet, yards, millimeters, centimeters, decimeters and meters, Cleary’s bouncy rhymes are a good beginning introduction to both the English and Metric systems, as well as the tools used to measure objects. “And see this—it’s cool— / inches live on this tool. / It’s a measuring stick called a ruler. / A 12-inch collection, / 1 foot of perfection, / the right size / for every grade-schooler.” Rulers in paws, Gable’s large-nosed cast of brightly colored quirky cats, mice and fleas measures objects large and small. His cartoons are entertaining and sure to gain children’s attention. Although the measurements pictured are not always to scale, they logically build on the clear explanations found in the text, creating a whole that is greater than the sum of its parts. Save a centimeter of shelf space for this one. (Nonfiction. 5-10)