Forest animals learn the many meanings of "equal" through a game of tug-of-war. Mouse initiates the game with Bear, but then realizes that he forgot the important rule of equal teams. As more animals join in, they debate about how to divide evenly and test their ideas. Meat versus plant eaters doesn't work, nor does furry versus not furry or even halves, since they are different sizes. Bear's response to it all? "Equal Shmequal." Gradually the animals learn that just because the numbers are equal does not mean the teams are equal. Mouse's solution is to equalize the weights, using a seesaw to balance the teams. When Bear and Mouse pull against Turtle, Rabbit, Bobcat, Wolf and Deer, neither side moves—until Bear gets distracted. Moral: "What really matters is equal effort." A final note tells readers "what it means to be equal" in math, art, law and team sports. Detailed watercolor illustrations clearly show readers what is equal and what is not, especially as the animals fail at their early efforts. A cute look at what can be a difficult concept. (Picture book. 4-7)

K-Gr 3-Kroll takes a subject that is difficult to explain and presents it in a fairly palatable tale. Mouse and her friends decide to play tug-of-war after watching kids at recess. First, though, they have to decide how to make both sides equal. They try dividing up by meat-eaters and plant-eaters; then they try those that have fur versus those without. Neither of these solutions works. Then they try three animals on each side. Of course, the larger ones win. Finally, they line up on the teeter-totter, shifting sides until the board balances. With both teams equal, the effort to win the tug-of-war is also equal. Neither side is victorious until Bear is distracted by the buzz of bees. Though predictable in a number of ways, the story still has enough plot tension to keep children reading. The illustrations, done in pastel shades, have a certain charm that young readers will find inviting. At the end of the book, Kroll gives the four definitions of equal from the viewpoints of math, art, the law, and team sports. This is an additional purchase for those collections needing more math-related books.-Elaine Lesh Morgan, Multnomah County Library, Portland, OR Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.

Some forest animals verbally tussle over how to make the teams equal for a game of tug of war: meat-eaters vs. plant-eaters? Furry critters vs. non-furry critters? Kids will like the art, featuring realistically proportioned animals wielding human expressions, but the patronizing narrative does little to soften the obvious math lesson: it doesn't have the light touch of Stuart Murphy's math-themed picture books.