Mary Had a Little Lab

by Sue Fliess

Overview

Angie Karcher's Best in Rhyme Award 2019

A funny, modern take on a classic nursery rhyme featuring a crafty, science-minded girl.

Mary is an enterprising young inventor. One day she realizes she has no friends, so she decides a pet will do the trick. But the pet Mary wants isn't one she can easily buy...so she makes one—and it's a sheep, of course! Soon Mary, her sheep, and her new invention gain her popularity and friends. But when she starts making sheep for her new friends, chaos abounds.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781489682475
Publisher:	Weigl Pub Inc
Publication date:	07/15/2018
Series:	2019 Av2 Fiction
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	10.90(w) x 8.30(h) x 0.40(d)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Sue Fliess is the award-winning, bestselling author of more than fifty children's books including Cicada Symphony, The Earth Gives More, and the Kid Scientist series. Her books have been named to notable lists and translated into multiple languages. Sue lives in Northern Virginia.

Petros Bouloubasis graduated from the Graphic Design Institute of Athens. His work is published and exhibited in Greece, Spain, Japan, Iran, Australia, France, Korea, Belgium and Turkey. He is also the illustrator of Mary Had a Little Lab, Little Red Rhyming Hood, and The Princess and the Petri Dish. He lives in Athens, Greece.

Editorial Reviews

Angie Karcher's Best in Rhyme Award 2019

"Girl science power and new friendships make for a good combination."—Kirkus Reviews


"A rhyming picture book that would make even Dr. Seuss jealous…an innovatively fun celebration of smart girls."—Shelf Awareness for Readers


"This is a surefire read-aloud that shows a girl being a successful scientist. A great fit for STEM storytimes."—School Library Journal

From the Publisher

2018-01-22
In Fliess' update, Mary is an inventive scientist, but she's a lonely one."Mary had a little lab. / She tested and created. / While other kids were at the park, / she built and calculated." The window of her lab provides views of the kids' fun, and they inspire her to make a friend. Literally. She bikes to a farm for a snip of wool and heads back to use her latest invention: the Sheepinator. The resultant pet is everything she could hope for, not only providing companionship, but also helping out around the house and lab. And when he follows her to school, the kids all ask for their own wooly friends. What could possibly go wrong? Bouloubasis' hysterical illustrations show the chaos that ensues, but the scientist and her new human friends think of a clever solution that leaves the whole town satisfied…and warm. Fliess' verses include enough of the original poem (but tweaked) to tickle readers' funny bones, and the rhyme and rhythm are spot-on. Mary is a wild-haired white redhead who is depicted as safety-conscious (bike helmet, ear protection, rubber gloves, etc.); the other kids are a diverse group. Most diverse (and somewhat distracting) of all are the noses on their faces—all sizes, shapes, and colors. Girl science power and new friendships make for a good combination. (Picture book. 4-8)

Kirkus Reviews