A perfect square is transformed in this adventure story that will transport you far beyond the four equal sides of this square book.

It was a perfect square.
It had four matching corners

and four equal sides.

And it was perfectly happy.

But on Monday,
the square was cut into pieces
and poked full of holes.

It wasn’t perfectly square anymore.

Greenwillow Books, 2011, 40 pages, hardcover 978-0-06191-513-0,
paperback 978-0-54551-199-5

publishing links: local bookstore : barnes & noble : amazon

resources

Perfect Square teaching guide

Minnesota Orchestra Kinder Konzert video

selected reviews

Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“Hall’s compositions never seem arbitrary or labored; each delivers a smile …”

School Library Journal (Starred review)

“This is a not-to-be-missed adventure for all young readers.”

The Horn Book Magazine

A near-perfect concept book … a book to revisit often, and with delight.

Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

“A colorful, geometric romp … a visual feast.”

The Washington Post

“Michael Hall again engineers geometric shapes and bold colors into a simple but expressive story.”

Elizabeth Bird

A brilliant combination of color, texture, originality, mild message, and kid-friendliness, Hall achieves a perfect medium all thanks to a shape with four equal sides and four matching corners.

The Washington Post (Best Children’s Books of 2011)

“… a story that combines the days of the week, the colors of the rainbow and the unspoken joy of breaking boundaries.”

Chicago Tribune

“Pages are lusciously intense, as we watch versatility trump geometry.”