The Royal Treasure Measure

K-Gr 2—Long ago, in a kingdom far away, the people were plagued by the lack of a standard measure. They used spoons and sausages and candles to quantify the length of objects. As a result, drapes were too long, robes were too short, and roofs did not properly cover houses. King Balbazar was at his wit's end so he decided to hold a contest. The one who could devise a sensible unit of measurement would become king and win the hand of the princess. Men came from far and near with all kinds of ideas, but it was a simple man named Arzo who-for lack of anything else-used his feet. He became king, and the official unit of measurement became the size of his foot. This clever account, told in rhyme, alludes to the basis for most of today's standard measurement: the human body. Youngsters will enjoy the failed attempts of using walnuts, swords, rowboats, goats, and even pickles to measure distance. The exaggerated, colorful cartoon illustrations are humorous and appealing. Fans of the author's other math concept books will be delighted with this offering, too.—Debbie Lewis, Alachua County Library District, FL