An investigator. A criminal. A woman. A complex plot. A
city. Who doesn’t love a noir
classic.
You’ve heard of fractured fairy tales. 7 Ate 9: The Untold Story, a picture book written by Tara Lazar and
illustrated by Ross MacDonald, is a fractured punchline. A layered “true story”
based on the well-known children’s joke, “Why is 6 afraid of 7?” The main
character is a Private I who comes to the aid of 6. 6 believes that 7 ate 9 and
is now after him. Private I follows the trail of clues until he finds the real culprit
whose nefarious motives are revealed in dramatic fashion.
7 Ate 9 is a
versatile book. Young children will find it funny as they are introduced to the
forms of the different numbers. Older children will be entertained by the
double entendres such as “numbers…they are always stuck in a problem” and the
many math terms sprinkled throughout the story. All kids will get caught up in
figuring out whodunit.
Watch the book trailer here:
I confess, I read this book in Humphrey Bogart's voice. It's a creative adaptation of the old gumshoe classic films for children, which just adds another layer for adults to enjoy.
