Pitter Pattern

The creator of Mapping Sam astutely explores another basic concept in this introduction to patterns. Hesselberth incorporates auditory and visual patterns into her pithy text and mixed-media pictures, the latter of which are chockablock with geometric shapes. Walking in the rain—wearing clothing and holding umbrellas featuring variegated fabric patterns—three children hear the regular rhythm of the falling drops: “Pitter, pitter, pat! Pitter, pitter, pat! Hey, it’s a pitter, pitter pattern!” The author puts another spin on the notion of patterns by spotlighting kids’ schedules according to the days of the week, revealing patterns within patterns. Each Monday, at soccer practice, teammates kick the patterned ball between cones (“In, out. In, out”); at Tuesday’s piano lesson, the keyboard displays a consistent configuration of keys, and the tune playing, a recurring beat. Inquiring “Are there patterns here?” Hesselberth also urges readers to find examples in scenes portraying fauna and flora, aquatic life, and cityscapes. A concise concluding explanation of repeating and growing patterns may well encourage curious kids to flip back to the start and identify samples of each type on these diverting, layered pages. Ages 4–8. [em](Feb.) [/em]