Common Sense Note
Kids can't resist counting and adding up the items on the pages, and rooting for the story's heroine.
Common Sense Review
Reviewed By: Jennifer Gennari
Bringing in one hundred objects on the one hundredth day of school is a familiar assignment to many elementary school kids, and listeners will immediately relate to Jessica, a lovable worrywart.
The tension mounts as readers worry along with Jessica about what to bring. At the same time, Margery Cuyler skillfully weaves in the math by organizing the other kids' items in groups of ten, twenty, and twenty-five. Listeners will jump right in, pointing and counting the paper clips and peanut bags and helping Jessica add because they want her to have enough objects.
The illustrations by Arthur Howard show a frazzled, wide-eyed Jessica. Well known for his drawings for the Mr. Putter and Tabby series, Howard has drawn the characters with a frenzy of lines that add to the sense of stress.
Another book using the one-hundredth-day idea for younger readers is Joseph Slate's Miss Bindergarten Celebrates the 100th Day of Kindergarten. Cuyler has also written That's Good! That's Bad.
Plot Summary:
Peanuts, paper clips, and peppermints! Jessica wonders how her classmates found so many items and worries about what she will bring for the one hundredth day of school. She frets until finally, with her family's help, she collects enough objects. This suspenseful but sweet story subtly encourages children to treat math as a means to an enjoyable end.
Rate It!
| Content | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CS | adults | kids | ||
Sexual Content |
 |
|
||
Violence |
|
|
||
Language |
|
|
||
Message |
 |
|
||
Social BehaviorThe siblings are stereotyped--the older sister likes makeup, jewelry, and hair accessories, and the brother likes yo-yos, rockets, and rocks. |
 |
 |
||
Commercialism |
|
|
||
Drug/Alcohol/Tobacco |
|
|
||
