978-0547610832

 

 

 

 

 

More by I.C. Springman

This would be my pick for a Principal's Book of the Month next year. The cover is what caught my attention at first. Everybody knows I love birds, and Brian Lies illustrations are gorgeous. (He also illustrated Bats at the Beach.) The illustrations are key, because there are only 45 words total in this book! Magpies are known for picking up shiny objects, and the magpie in this book just doesn't know when to stop. One of the fun parts is looking carefully at all the tiny bits of trash that people have abandoned, but the magpie thinks are treasures. At first, Magpie's friend the mouse helps him find his "treasures," but after a while, Mouse realizes that things are getting out of control. There are lots of great math words to talk about here, like "more," "less," "plenty," and "enough." And of course it gets you thinking about whether or not you need more--or less--stuff in your life.