School Library Journal
(March 1, 2004; 0-439-45399-2) PreS-Gr 1-Complete with catchy
titles such as Trying Times, Midnight Snack, and Gone with the
Wind, each brief fable told in rhyme ends with a moral. Except for
some suggested activities at the end, there are no math problems or
puzzles to solve. Rather, the author strives to help readers learn
how to see a number as a combination of smaller groups of numbers
in order to lay the foundation for place value and as a first step
to building strong computational skills. The text and perky,
computer-generated cartoons show youngsters that there are many
different ways of putting numbers together. For example, in Going
Nuts, four squirrels frolic in autumn leaves until they realize
they need provisions for winter. One begins to explore while three
sit on a branch, frightened with worry. Next, 2 squirrels raced to
gather nuts while the other 2- buried them in stashes underground.
Finally, all 4 slept very well that night, /no longer feeling
scared./They learned it's wise to plan ahead/and always be
prepared! Cahoon keeps the different combinations together by
enclosing them in ovals, visually emphasizing that although the
groupings may look different, they still add up to four. Featuring
words like sultry, wholeheartedly, and procrastinate, the enriching
vocabulary is an added bonus. A fine addition to math
shelves.-Marianne Saccardi, Norwalk Community College, CT Copyright
2004 Reed Business Information. Publishers Weekly
(February 23, 2004; 0-439-45399-2) A number of spring picture books
add to popular series. Continuing to make arithmetic fun, Math
Fables by Greg Tang, illus. by Heather Cahoon, offers 10 rhymes
about animals that teach a life lesson while demonstrating basic
addition. For the number seven, Gone with the Wind traces the path
of monarch butterflies to Mexico, using every possible combination
of addends (5+2; 6+1; etc.): Their journey would be very far, / a
thousand miles or more./ The monarchs flew both day and night/ in
groups of 3 and 4. In addition, Tang extends readers' vocabulary
(albeit, prudent, sultry). Cahoon's computer-generated
illustrations once again bring personality and charm to the animals
and settings. Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.
Booklist
(February 1, 2004; 0-439-45399-2) PreS-Gr. 1. As he did in Math
Appeal BKL F 15 03, Tang introduces children to the wonders of
grouping numbers. Each fable tells a rhyming story in a two- or
four-page spread, with each setup more complex than the last. One
of the first fables tells of two young birds. One bird takes wing
and hits the ground, and the other one falls from the sky and
nearly drowns. When the birds practice together, however, they both
learn to fly. In another story, 10 beavers leave for work,
regrouping and reorganizing their numbers all day. A final page
offers ideas to help more accelerated learners combine groups of
numbers in various ways. The bright, shiny artwork, executed on a
computer, sometimes appears literally rough around the edges, but
the target audience will like the illustrations' happy cartoon
look. Like Tang's other books, this will engage children, who may
not even realize they are learning. --Ilene Cooper Copyright 2004
Booklist
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