Matt Novak Book Twelve Snails to One Lizard

Book Description
As Milo Beaver works industriously to fix the leak in his dam, Bubba Bullfrog plays a big joke on him, in a humorous tale that teaches youngsters about the concepts of measurement. Written by Susan Hightower. Illustrated by Matt Novak.
Reviews

A READING RAINBOW BOOK!

FROM KIRKUS REVIEWS

A math lesson (inches, feet, and yards) in story form: Milo the Beaver needs to cut a branch exactly 36 inches long to bridge a gap in his dam. Bubba Frog suggests different ways of measuring it--line up 36 healthy snails, feelers to tails, or 3 iguana lizards, nose to tail, or Betty Jane Boa all by herself. But the snails are too slow lining up, the lizards are too frisky, Betty Jane is more interested in putting the squeeze on Milo, and it turns out that Bubba has a yardstick at home. It's all pretty silly, but the relationships between these three units of measure will probably stick in children's minds. Novak's acrylic-rendered critters share a family resemblance with certain Saturday-morning cartoons; a picnicking pair of mice straight from the pages of his Mouse TV (1994) are silent observers of all the shenanigans. (Picture book. 4-7)

FROM PUBLISHERS WEEKLY

Bubba Bullfrog and Milo Beaver are two calculating critters--calculating length, that is--in this quirky paper-over-board concept book. It's shades of the grasshopper and the ant as Bubba lounges while Milo busies himself assembling logs to mend a broken dam. Only when Bubba realizes that a properly constructed dam means more bugs for him to eat does he offer Milo some advice. Bubba first suggests using snails, then iguana lizards and finally one long snake to measure the length of the logs for the dam. The creatures clearly illustrate the concepts of inches, feet and yards, respectively, but are hilariously ill-suited to the job at hand. Bubba's trusty yardstick saves the dam--and saves Milo from complete frustration. First-time author Hightower's animal protagonists crackle with distinct personalities, helping and hindering, pushing and pulling each other to a perfect balance. Novak's (Mouse TV) winsome earth-toned acrylics once again amuse with lizards who juggle and hula, a beaver wearing a tool belt and a pair of picnicking mice who cavort on several spreads. He spices up the story's pacing with several pages of small but very funny small log-framed panels. A final note provides some nifty measurement facts about animals mentioned in the story. Ages 4-7. (Apr.)