Review Detail

ISOBEL ADDS IT UP is a sweet picture book about solving problems. Isobel is excited to do her math homework, but she cannot concentrate with her new neighbors making a lot of noise. She hypothesizes about what they may be doing and tries to create her own noise in retaliation. Finally, she decides to make them cookies and send a note to ask them to be quieter. The response is even better than she could have hoped - Isobel ends up with a new friend who also loves to do math.

What I loved: This was a really fun story about solving problems (math and noisy neighbors) and making new friends. It was also really great to see characters excited about math. Noisy neighbors can be a problem that children who have lived in apartments will recognize. While she tries retaliation, she eventually comes up with a sweeter solution and sends a nice note that gets results - and makes a new friend. This was an empowering read.

The illustrations capture the story beautifully with lots of color and fun details. The characters are very emotive and the style choices capture the noise and problems well. The font is clear and easy to read, making this a great pick for reading aloud.

Final verdict: A charming picture book about solving problems, ISOBEL ADDS IT UP is a fun read that will work well for preschoolers and elementary school aged readers.