Curious Comparisons: A Life-Size Look at the World Around You

by Jorge Doneiger (Author) Marcelo Setton (Illustrator)

Reading Level: 2nd − 3rd Grade
Which weighs more, a pound of lead or a pound of feathers? How many ants does it take to steal a piece of cake? Life-size photos and a clever text explore concepts of size, measurement, time, and more. Are you curious about numbers, size, and how something small stacks up to something big, like the number of grains of sand that fill a bucket? Using life-size photographs, engaging gatefolds, and witty asides, Jorge Doneiger beautifully demonstrates relative size, along with quantitative information that answers questions about all kinds of creatures and objects. If you unraveled all the thread from a T-shirt, how many times would that thread wrap around a city block? How many balloons could you fill with the air you breathe in one day? How many flowers must a hive of bees visit to collect enough pollen to make a pound of honey? Is it possible to measure time in colors? Back matter offers additional facts on the subjects for curious readers.
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Hardcover
$17.99

School Library Journal

Gr 1-4--Employing bright photography depicting life-size representations, this informational picture book introduces young readers to the concepts of size, measurement, time, and scale. Everyday objects such as candy and colored pencils are used to help readers visualize the math. The text favors short sentences, while bold, primary colors are seen on the mostly two-page spreads. Doneiger uses a combination of science, math, and humor to explore an often disparate collection of topics. The photography incorporates numerical facts that could be a jumping-off point to studying and practicing math. An accompanying section, "Life-Size Facts for the Very Curious," provides more detailed information. VERDICT Libraries with elementary students hungry for fact-based reading or looking for real-life math connections could use this book as an introductory text. Recommended.--Courtney Lewis, St. Catherine's School, Richmond, VA

Copyright 2020 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Review quotes

Humor ranges from whimsical (the observation that "time can be measured in colors" accompanies a changing lineup of deciduous leaves) to silly (a Saint Bernard's owner is about to step into a one-pound "surprise gift"). Wry commentary adds to the fun while backmatter supplements all facts.
—Kirkus Reviews

Doneiger uses a combination of science, math, and humor to explore an often disparate collection of topics. The photography incorporates numerical facts that could be a jumping-off point to studying and practicing math. An accompanying section, "Life-Size Facts for the Very Curious," provides more detailed information. Libraries with elementary students hungry for fact-based reading or looking for real-life math connections could use this book as an introductory text. Recommended.
—School Library Journal
Jorge Doneiger
Jorge Doneiger is an award-winning graphic designer who works as an art director for Diario Clarin, Argentina's largest newspaper. Curious Comparisons is his first book for children. He lives in Buenos Aires.
Classification
Non-fiction
ISBN-13
9781536200218
Lexile Measure
-
Guided Reading Level
-
Publisher
Candlewick Press (MA)
Publication date
October 20, 2020
Series
-
BISAC categories
JNF051000 - Juvenile Nonfiction | Science & Nature | General
JNF013070 - Juvenile Nonfiction | Concepts | Size & Shape
JNF035040 - Juvenile Nonfiction | Mathematics | Fractions
Library of Congress categories
Picture books for children
Science
Size
Curiosities and wonders
Size perception

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