Mouse siblings Albert and Wanda play in the "People House playroom" and learn about sorting, attributes, and classification when it's time to put the toys away (Mess). Albert adds more and more toys to trade for Wanda's copy of the new Captain Slime book (Adds). The purposeful stories' soft, friendly illustrations welcome children to the early math lessons. "Fun activities" are appended.

PreS-Gr 2 Albert and Wanda are back. This time, the siblings and their friend Leo take advantage of a human family vacation to explore the usually off-limits playroom. It's all fun and games for these plucky rodents until Albert accidentally starts a toy avalanche that leaves blocks, balls, marbles, and trains scattered all over the floor. As the mice work to clean up the mess, they discover that the toys can be sorted into groups based on color, shape, and size. Ultimately, they return all the toys to their proper bins just in the nick of time. As in the other titles in this series, the book concludes with parent/educator pages that suggest ways to engage children in conversation about the story as well as follow-up activities that reinforce the concept of sorting. Additional activities can be found on the publisher's website. Students will be captivated by the antics of these colorful cartoon mice, and teachers will find this a useful addition to their math curriculums. Lynn Van Auken, Oak Bluffs School, Oak Bluffs, MA