The Great Divide

Slade uses an appealing formula to simultaneously teach readers about both animal collective nouns and division. Rhyming word problems followed by numerical equations introduce animal groups, including a “charm” of hummingbirds, a “crash” of rhinos, and a “tribe” of billy goats. Readers are encouraged to fill in the answers to each rhyme: “Nine hungry leopards/ waking up from sleep./ Three groups are on the prowl./ How many in each leap? 9 ÷ 3 = ?” Hunter’s naturalistic but warm paintings skillfully embody the two concepts, and appended materials include a matching game, a quiz about animal habitats, and an explanation of how division works. Ages 4–9. (Feb.)