3x4

K-Gr 2—Annemarie and her classmates, who readers met in Brunetti's Wordplay, are back with a new homework assignment. They need to draw 12 things but in sets. Three sets of four? Four sets of 3? Two sets of 6? It's entirely up to them. The students (and there are, of course, 12 of them) each find an ingenious way to draw 12 of their favorite things as they create art and also begin learning the basics of multiplication. This is a charming beginning reader graphic novel. The art features colorful backgrounds and ethnically diverse characters, rendered with eye-catching crisp lines and basic shapes. The panels alternate between full-page and four-panel pages, chock-full of hidden sets of threes that children will have fun finding, counting, and sorting, all without realizing that they are learning math. The action moves forward smoothly, and the word bubbles are well positioned, with black text and numbers highlighted in color. As with all of the publisher's works, this title ends with tips for reading comics with kids and includes grade suggestions and reading levels. Brunetti's second volume is a lovely graphic story that teaches a simple concept in a most engaging way and will be snapped up by fans and newcomers alike.