Review - How Many Seeds in a Pumpkin?

How Many Seeds in a Pumpkin? (Mr. Tiffin's Classroom #1)
by Margaret McNamara
illustrated by G. Brian Karas
Date: 2007
Publisher: Schwartz & Wade Books
Reading level: C
Book type: picture book
Pages: 40
Format: e-book
Source: library

For curious kids, this explores skip counting and estimation in a fun pumpkin-themed classroom experiment. "How many seeds are in a pumpkin?" Mr. Tiffin asks his class as they gather around the big, medium, and small pumpkins on his desk. Robert, the biggest kid, guesses that the largest one has a million seeds; Elinor, sounding like she knows what she's talking about, guesses the medium one has 500 seeds; and Anna, who likes even numbers better than odd ones, guesses that the little one has 22. Charlie, the smallest boy in the class, doesn't have a guess. Counting pumpkin seeds is messy business, but once the slimy job is done... well, you'll have to read and find out!

(synopsis from Goodreads)

I enjoyed this classroom tale more than I thought I would.

One day, Mr. Tiffin brings three pumpkins to school and asks the class how many seeds are in each one. Which will have the most: the big, the medium, or the small pumpkin? Each student has their own ideas, but there's only one way to find out. And the answer comes as a surprise to everybody.

While the illustrations didn't wow me, they're perfectly adequate as an accompaniment to the story. I can see this being used in a classroom setting, perhaps along with a pumpkin-seed counting activity. I actually learned a few things about pumpkins that I didn't know before, and I always like it when that happens.

Recommended to curious kids who are interested in learning fun facts.

Premise: 4/5
Meter: n/a
Writing: 4/5
Illustrations: 3/5
Originality: 4/5

Enjoyment: 4/5

Overall: 3.83 out of 5

Review - Almost Time

Almost Time
by Gary D. Schmidt & Elizabeth Stickney
illustrated by G. Brian Karas
Date: 2020
Publisher: Clarion Books
Reading level: C
Book type: picture book
Pages: 32
Format: e-book
Source: library

A tender father-and-son story about the passage of time, the change of seasons, and the excitement of reaching a goal.

(synopsis from Goodreads)

Almost Time is a sweet (pun intended) little story about a boy who's eagerly awaiting the year's fresh batch of maple syrup. He asks his father how long it will be until the sap starts running, and his father offers various answers that help the boy gauge the passage of time. Finally, after a lot of waiting, it's time for the sap to start flowing, the trees to be tapped, and the syrup to be boiled. Ethan gets his sticky treat... and it was worth waiting for.

The story is simple but understated. Some readers might wonder why Ethan's father didn't just go to the store and buy some maple syrup until their own was ready. It's not like they're living out in the middle of nowhere, with no access to grocery stores. Ethan does go to a regular school, after all. But I think the point here is the waiting, and learning to cultivate patience. This can be tough for kids, but Ethan's father helps him by giving him concrete examples with which to mark time (e.g., the sap will flow when the weather gets warmer and the days get longer).

I have to say that I wasn't really enamoured with the illustrations here. I think it might be the colour palette that's turning me off. The pictures look kind of dated to me, and I found myself more engaged in the lovely narrative than looking at the visual aspects of the book. Tastes will vary, of course, and there's nothing really wrong with the pictures; I just personally didn't love them.

Overall, Almost Time is a nice picture book with themes of patience and the passage of time. Kids who are familiar with maple-syrup country will probably find even more to like about this one, as they'll understand a little more about what's going on.

Quotable moment:

Premise: 4/5
Meter: n/a
Writing: 4/5
Illustrations: 3/5
Originality: 4/5

Enjoyment: 3/5

Overall: 3.5 out of 5

Review - The Dinosaur Expert

The Dinosaur Expert (Mr. Tiffin's Classroom #4)
by Margaret McNamara
illustrated by G. Brian Karas
Date: 2018
Publisher: Schwartz & Wade
Reading level: C
Book type: picture book
Pages: 40
Format: e-book
Source: library

Join Mr. Tiffin and his students on a trip to a natural history museum and learn all about dinosaurs and the scientists who discovered them!

Mr. Tiffin and his students are back in another picture book, and this time the focus is on dinosaur-loving Kimmy. During a field trip to the natural history museum, Kimmy is thrilled to share what she knows about the Stegosaurus and the Archaeopteryx and even the ginormous Titanosaurus. That changes when one of her classmates questions whether girls can be paleontologists. Kimmy starts to feel shy. What if they can't? What if no one wants to hear what she has to say? It will take some help from Mr. Tiffin--and from a famous scientist--for Kimmy to find her voice again.

Join Mr. Tiffin's class as they learn about dinosaurs big and small, feathered and scaly, winged and ocean-dwelling. And root for Kimmy, the dinosaur expert... who might just learn something about herself.

(synopsis from Goodreads)

While I do appreciate the "girl power" message of letting girls know that it's fine to be interested in scientific pursuits, I think this book failed a little in that regard. Why? Because the sexist classmate was never called out for his remarks. He may have learned that he was wrong because of the events in the book, but the fact that even the teacher seemed to ignore his comments was a little disturbing. It's just another example of how our society lets males get away with things they really shouldn't get away with.

The synopsis isn't accurate in this regard, either. Jake doesn't just question whether girls can be paleontologists. He clearly says: "Girls aren't scientists." The immediate effect of this is that Kimmy stops talking, even though she knows more about dinosaurs than anyone in her class. I found that whole interaction chilling... and it gets even worse after the kids look at a display of male paleontologists. Jake saunters away from Kimmy with a smug, "See?"

I really wanted this little sexist pig to have some sense smacked into him. While the kids do eventually find out that there are female paleontologists, too, the earlier sexism is never addressed. It's just kind of swept out of the way as the kids continue their trip through the museum. In a book that's all about girls getting into a scientific field, I would've expected this part of the story to be handled a little better.

The illustrations are nice, and I liked the pages at the end where Kimmy shares with the reader information she's found about female paleontologists. That part of the book is great for encouraging girls who might be interested in this subject. However, I found the unaddressed sexism disturbing, and I'm not sure I like the message this book gives. Yes, Kimmy finally finds her voice again. But does Jake really learn anything? It's not just about encouraging girls in the sciences; boys need to be taught to accept that girls can be scientists, too, or achieving more equality in the scientific fields is going to take longer than it needs to.

Premise: 3/5
Meter: n/a
Writing: 3/5
Illustrations: 4/5
Originality: 4/5

Enjoyment: 3/5

Overall: 3.33 out of 5