cover image The Doorbell Rang

The Doorbell Rang

Pat Hutchins. Greenwillow Books, $16.99 (24pp) ISBN 978-0-688-05251-5

Victoria and Sam are just sitting down to a plateful of Ma's cookies when the doorbell rings, and two of their friends arrive to share the feast. The doorbell rings again and again and each time the number of cookies per person dwindles until at last there is only one cookie per person and . . . the doorbell rings again! (Luckily, it's Grandma arriving with reinforcements.) Hutchins's quirky illustrations nicely depict her suspenseful tale; the characters have an unusually authentic feeling and convey a strong sense of family. The book is, of course, a mini-lesson in short division. But don't tell any kidsthe arithmetic is so subtly incorporated into the story that they need never know it's there. (48)