Telling Time by David A. Adler (review)

Adler, David A. Telling Time; illus. by Edward Miller. Holiday House, 2019 [32p] Trade ed. ISBN 978-0-8234-4092-4 $18.99 Reviewed from galleys Ad 5-7 yrs

After the earliest childhood attempts at deciphering the number of minutes, hours, days, or sleeps to get from now to later, kids inevitably confront the timepieces that are expected to sort this all out. Brushing digital clocks aside in a single paragraph, Adler goes old school with an explanation of the analog clocks that were once the staple on every classroom wall. His approach to the math involved in breaking hours into minutes into seconds is admirably clear and useful, and the book's page-by-page organization provides natural rest stops for listeners who need to take this in a little at a time. Also helpful is Adler's attention to common idioms for time reporting (such as fifteen minutes past or ten minutes to an hour), in a lesson wisely positioned toward the closing pages. What's clearly missing, however, is discussion of the pros and cons of analog and digital timepieces—a critical consideration for children expected to move nimbly between these visual reports, when the time divisions in their days are still baffling to interpret. Miller's digital artwork, which casts Adler's explanations into a whisper-thin plot about space shuttle travelers, is often overburdened with cute space kids and robots who clutter the layout and distract from the necessary clock-face graphics. A short glossary is appended, along with an author's note on time-related miscellanea. While viewers will be left with some questions, early childhood educators may want to consult this for ideas on teaching strategies.