Lifetime: The Amazing Numbers in Animal Lives

Schaefer (One Special Day) and Neal (Over and Under the Snow) use traits and developmental milestones of 11 species as a way to take full measure of animal lives, and the result is as intriguing as it is gorgeous. Readers visit a silvery forest, where "In one lifetime, this woodpecker"--a handsome fellow with a bright red crest, seen simultaneously perched on trees and peering out of holes--"will drill 30 roosting holes in the woods. Rat-a-tat-tat-tat-tat!" Did Neal really draw 900 flowers in meadow (the number a swallowtail butterfly visits during a lifespan) or 1,000 "teeny-weeny, squiggly-wiggly" seahorse babies (the number a male seahorse carries and births)? It looks like he probably did. But those who would rather trust than verify won't miss out--the stylized nature vignettes, rendered in the flat, vivid colors of poster art, offer rewards to both close, numbers-minded readers and those who simply want to savor the wonder of it all. Back matter includes information on each species as well as how to compute averages and solve story problems. Ages 4-8. Author's agent: Rosemary Stimola, Stimola Literary Studio. (Oct.)

K-Gr 4--This addition to animal counting books mixes in science and mathematical processing to share numbers from behaviors or events occurring over an animal's lifetime. The count begins with the single egg sac a cross spider produces in its lifetime. The count continues with 10 sets of antlers a caribou grows, then 20 fleeces for a llama, and up to 50 before it skips to 100, 200, 550, 900 and 1,000. Each spread highlights a different insect, animal, or plant. The main text is minimal and suitable for storytime while the back is appropriate for older readers, providing background information on each animal and an explanation of how the numbers were derived. Additional pages explain how an average is calculated and the author's love of math. The illustrations are stylized, using high contrast to ease counting and improve legibility, although numbers beyond 200 will require very determined numerists. This book will be useful for units on integrating literature into math instruction.--Carol S. Surges, formerly at Longfellow Middle School, Wauwatosa, WI