The talents of Murphy and Remkiewicz add up to a humorous tale about sweet-natured Turtle, a charming host who invites a succession of sea creature friends to enjoy some of his fresh seaweed soup. Turtle's friends think the "thick and green, gooey and slimy" soup looks suspect, but don't want to hurt their kind friend's feelings. For each additional guest, Turtle sets a place at his table with a cup, spoon, napkin, and bowl-the elements of the mathematical sets (also called one-to-one correspondence) that is the story's theme. As the number of guests increases, Turtle finds that he has to make do with a variety of tableware that doesn't always match but that serves the same function. The guests find to their surprise that the soup is delicious, and their polite manners and Turtle's touching hospitality provide life lessons beyond math concepts. A chart near the end shows all the tableware sets in rows, offering additional opportunities for counting and matching subsets.

Murphy's humorous text indirectly teaches about sets as Turtle sits down to enjoy his thick green, gooey seaweed soup. Each time unsuspecting friends come by, they are invited to lunch and Turtle goes to his shelf to find extra place settings. When he runs out of an item, he makes another set with substitutes. For instance, a jelly jar serves for a cup, a toy shovel becomes a spoon, etc. Children will enjoy the story and its surprising ending while learning about the concept. The bright watercolor cartoons by the artist of "Froggy" fame lend a deft and humorous touch to the proceedings. The last pages have tips for further fun with math, suggestions for activities around the house, plus a short list of other stories with similar concepts. Well worth considering.

—Judith Constantinides, formerly at East Baton Rouge Parish Main Library, LA
Used with permission from School Library Journal. Copyright Cahners Business Information, Inc.