From School Library Journal
Kindergarten-Grade 3—The nighttime magic of a wishing star provides the framework for a realistic story about fractions. When four children receive only a fraction of their wishes, they discover a pattern. Petey, who is four, gets one-fourth of a dollar, while two-year-old Joey gets half a cookie; eight-year-old twins Sally and Samantha each get one-eighth of a bag of marbles. On the last night that the comet is visible, the siblings decide to combine their wishes and ask for the pet they all want. Napoli's story moves smoothly between the magic of wishes granted and the reality of working with fractions. While getting half a cookie is fine, getting half a pig wouldn't do at all. Currey's watercolor-and-ink illustrations evoke summer nights when barefoot youngsters lean on porch railings and look at the stars. With faces illuminated by paper lanterns, lighted windows, and starlight, they examine cookies, quarters, and marbles. Simple, unobtrusive pictures show how much of each is required to make a whole. The mix of magic and math is irresistible. While children can read the book themselves, librarians will want the pleasure of reading it aloud and exploring the possibilities the author provides in a note at the end.—
Mary Jean Smith, Southside Elementary School, Lebanon, TN Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Math is a magical part of everyday family life in this warm story by award-winning children's novelist Napoli. When Joey, Petey, and their sister Sally wish upon a star, they get what they wish for, only not all of it. Sally's twin, Samantha, tells them to chant the verse Star light, star bright . . . and she works out the pattern: Joey, age 2, gets half of what he wants; Petey, age 4, gets a quarter; Sally, who is 8, gets 10 marbles, one-eighth of a full bag of 80. Then the kids work out how they can get one whole thing if they all wish for it together. Currey's soft-toned ink-and-watercolor illustrations show the complex number patterns in small diagrams along with scenes of the family on their porch, wishing on the star under the night sky. In the style of Stuart's Mathstart series, the story ends with fascinating questions and suggested activities. Rochman, Hazel
