Albert Starts School

April 1, 2015

PreS-K-The books in this educational series blend fictional stories with math concepts. In Albert Starts School, a young mouse learns about the days of the week and the importance of following rules when part of a group. In Lost in the Mouseum, Albert and his friend Leo are left in charge of Penny, the young sibling of a friend, at a museum. When Penny gets lost, Albert and Leo run through the museum until they find her right where they thought they lost her, in the process giving readers a primer in the difference between right and left. Both stories are simple and will appeal to their intended audience. Bright and cheery, illustrations are reminiscent of those of Rosemary Wells. Charts, diagrams, and bold red font make the math concepts clear. It's not always clear from the cover which theme each title explores: a minor flaw. Each title also includes extension activities for reflection, engagement, and further thinking. VERDICT A recommended purchase for collections looking for math concept stories.-Jasmine L. Precopio, Fox Chapel Area School District, Pittsburgh, PA

Copyright 2015 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

June 1, 2015
The latest in the Mouse Math series both gets readers ready for the routines of school and hammers home the days of the week. Albert is extremely excited about his first day of school. He is especially looking forward to paw painting, playing the piano, and feeding the class pet, all of which he's heard about from his older sister, Wanda. So getting used to a fixed routine, when special activities take place on different days, is rather tough for him; Tuesday is art day, not Monday, and though he enjoys seeing a story told with puppets at library time, he still wants to paint. He gets to paint on Tuesday, but he can't feed the fish whenever he wants-he has to wait for his turn, which is on Wednesday. And so it goes through the week, Albert always wishing he could do things whenever he wants to, as at home, but learning that school is different. But by Friday, Albert is showing a new student the ropes. Melmon's bright, cheery cartoons are a nice introduction to the sights and activities of school, and almost every spread includes some visual display of the days of the week. Two pages of "Fun Activities" in the backmatter give adults ideas on how to extend the learning. Change is hard, but for those learning to be patient, Albert is a good guide. (Picture book. 3-6)

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July 1, 2015
Mouse Albert excitedly starts school, and, because they "do something special every day," he learns to differentiate days of the week. On a trip to the "Mouseum," Albert learns his right from left while looking for his lost friend Penny. The lesson is front-and-center in each purposeful installment, but the friendly-looking mice will help young readers feel welcome. Activities are appended.

(Copyright 2015 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)