Look, Grandma! Ni, Elisi!

July 1, 2021
Through investigation, Bo discovers the perfect container to display his marble collection at the Cherokee National Holiday festival. For months, Bo has worked hard on painting round stones to make homemade marbles. He is finally old enough to sell them at his family's craft booth. His grandma, Elisi, says there is only so much space at the table so he will need to find something to hold the marbles. She sends him to "look around. Just don't make a big ol' mess!" Bo hunts through the boxes in his room, but nothing is big enough. When he finds a large tray, Elisi says, "Tla....Our booth is small. Your container needs to fit on this mat." Bo carries the mat around the house, experimenting with containers of different shapes and sizes. He dumps out the contents of a ribbon box, a tool crate, and a tall vase, but nothing works. He is about to give up and ask for help when he empties the contents of a basket. His marbles fit perfectly! Elisi's house is a mess, but Bo has found just the right container to show and sell his homemade marbles. Incorporating snatches of Cherokee, Coulson's (Cherokee) tale conveys the challenges of estimating volume even as it develops three-dimensional characters and their affectionate relationship. Goodnight's (Chickasaw) illustrations are lively and full of details specific to Cherokee culture. This fun, math-inspired story will empower children to keep trying until they succeed. (author's note, glossary, math activities) (Picture book. 3-6)

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