Mapping Penny's World (Paperback)

by Loreen Leedy (Author) "My name is Lisa, and my class is making maps this month..." (more)

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal
Grade 1-3-Lisa and her dog from Measuring Penny (Holt, 1998) are back. Since the girl's class is learning about maps, she decides to draw one of her bedroom and then makes a few for her Boston terrier. These maps show where the pet has hidden her toys and treats, the best route for a neighboring animal to take to their house, biking and hiking trails (Penny rides in the bike basket), and a 3-D map of places where the pup likes to play. Lisa explains terms such as "key," "scale," and "symbol," and introduces tools such as pedometers and odometers. The concepts are clear, and the digital-painting and photo-collage illustrations are uncluttered and ably clarify the text. However, one illustration of Penny looking through a fish tank superimposed on a picture of Lisa's room might be confusing to some young readers. While the animal seems less a fully realized pet than a device for introducing maps, readers will enjoy traveling with this duo and learn much in the process. Libraries will welcome this as a complement to other books that introduce spatial concepts such as Gail Hartman's As the Crow Flies (Aladdin, 1993) and Joan Sweeney's Me on the Map (Crown, 1996).
Louise L. Sherman, formerly at Anna C. Scott School, Leonia, NJ
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Booklist
Lisa and her pet boxer, Penny, familiar to many youngsters from Measuring Penny (1998) return, this time discovering maps. After learning in school about maps and their parts--the key and symbols, labels, scale, and more--Lisa applies her newfound mapmaking skills to Penny's world. She makes maps of her room (which Penny shares), her yard (full of Penny's hiding places), the neighborhood (and the routes Penny's dog friends use when they visit), and the local park. As Lisa creates her maps, she explains their function and the tools she uses, such as a pedometer. She also includes a three-dimensional, clay-and-cardboard map and many drawings. Young readers will enjoy both Leedy's cheerful pictures and the narrative about Lisa and her engaging dog as they explore a familiar world from an unfamiliar perspective. Great for inspiring children to map their own world, putting a ruler to everything in sight. Catherine Andronik
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 32 pages
• Publisher: Scholastic Inc (2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0439329353
• ISBN-13: 978-0439329354
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #4,047,078 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Example of Simple Map-Making, August 21, 2003

By	Blue Roses "padelrath" (Rocky Mountiains, United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mapping Penny's World (Hardcover)

This book follows the path of a dog and the maps made of her neighborhood. These maps are very simple and easy to follow. They are straight forward and amazingly uncluttered. The legends help to show why they are so important in map-making. This is a wonderful guide to introduce children to maps and also to use as an "template" for creating your own maps.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars learn all about maps from a girl and her dog!, December 7, 2004

By	Melissa Sack (georgia) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Mapping Penny's World (Hardcover)

This book is a wonderful, colorful book that is very well written and is a great plot line.
Lisa's class at school is learning all about maps and how to use them. As a project Penny has to make a map of her own. Lisa maps out her world and the world of her dog Penny. Children are introduced to terms such as map title, key, symbols, compass rose and scale.


What did you like or not like about the book?

The pictures featuring the main character Lisa and her dog Penny are colorful and entertaining.


I would recommend this book to parents and teacher to share with children in grade 2-4. It's very useful tool in teaching basic geography.

5.0 out of 5 stars fabulous for teachers--especially in 3rd-5th, January 15, 2008

By	Jennifer Fox "mrsfox" (Smyrna, GA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Mapping Penny's World (Paperback)

Kids finally will get what a "birds eye view" means! The book flows nicely from creating a map of Penny's owner's bedroom...to a larger and larger scale. Leads itself to children being able to create their own maps of their bedroom or classroom...then once they have that down your true cartographers will emerge and challenge themselves on a greater scale.