Counting in Dog Years and Other Sassy Math Poems

Franco explores the joy of everyday mathematics in 20 rhyming poems sorted into four sections, and including topics such as a “Stinky Scale” rating malodorous scents, the “geometric math-terpiece” that is honeycomb, and numerical palindromes. A child’s voice resonates clearly in “Total Time in School,” which wails, “That’s three months of summer/ but nine months of school!/ It must have been grown-ups/ who made up/ that rule!” “Calling Up Friends to Play” integrates a gentle logic puzzle, and “Math Makes Me Feel Safe” exudes a warm positivity not often attached to the subject matter. Tey’s gouache illustrations portray a riot of whimsy in muted tones, depicting children and adults of varied skin tones amid imaginative scenes, including a child floating alongside a straw and paper umbrella in an iced drink. Ages 8–12. (Oct.)