Lia and Luis

September 15, 2020
In this entry in the Storytelling Math series, children are introduced to the concepts of measuring and comparing. Brazilian Portuguese-speaking siblings Lia and Lu�s have a relationship marked by a little rivalry. Lu�s is quick to brag, and Lia doesn't mind, usually. As they play with blocks, Lu�s' tower may be taller, but Lia's tower--patiently built--doesn't fall over as easily. When they go to their family's store for snacks--biscoito de polvilho (tapioca biscuits) for Lu�s, coxinhas de galinha (chicken croquettes) for Lia--the rivalry continues: "I have more!" brags Luis. But does he? The children compare their snacks by container size (height, width, depth), quantity, and finally by weight. It looks like Lia may finally be the winner, but a sad look on her brother's face gives her an idea. Sharing a bit of her croquette makes the two sides equal. Simple and uncluttered illustrations follow the children as they try different ways of comparing. There is a sprinkling of Brazilian Portuguese scattered throughout the text (a glossary can be found at the end). The children and their father are portrayed with olive skin and black hair. The backmatter includes more on the math concepts and suggestions of strategies adults can use with children to further develop their measuring skills. No frills, but it does the job. (Math picture book. 3-6)

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October 19, 2020
A classic sibling debate sets the stage for this effective, child-led exploration of measurement methods. After Lia and Luís visit their family’s store to get their favorite Brazilian snacks, they wonder: is Luís’s one bag of tapioca biscuits “more” than Lia’s two chicken croquettes? In text sprinkled with Portuguese words (a glossary with a pronunciation guide is included at the end), the two children go back and forth, counting, comparing, and measuring: “She has two croquettes. Luís has only one bag of biscuits. Maybe Lia does have more.// Or maybe not... Luís has... 98, 99, 100 biscuits.” Eventually, Lia discovers who has more by weight and finds a way for each child to have an equal amount. Medeiros’s cheery, colorful digital illustrations capture the children’s frustration, concentration, and joy. Includes four additional adult-led activities to encourage children to think more about measurement and comparison. Ages 3–6.