We've Got Your Numbers
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-- School Library Journal, 12/4/2007 11:14:00 AM
Give your early learners lots of options with these multilingual, multisensory, multicolor counting books! Combine simple titles with ones that tell a story using numbers and math concepts. These titles prove that learning about arithmetic doesn’t have to be rote or boring!
BYRD, Lee Merrill. Lover Boy/Juanito el cariñoso: A Bilingual Counting Book. tr. by David Dorado Romo. illus. by Francisco Delgado. Cinco Puntos. 2005. Tr $15.95. ISBN 978-0-938317-38-8.
PreS-Gr 2–Brilliantly colored illustrations and a simple story line combine to make this title an endearing choice. In both Spanish and English, readers will follow Johnny/Juanito kissing his way from one to ten, starting with “uno chiquitito” for his big sister and ending with ten “muy deliciosos” smacks for his grandmother.
CUNNINGHAM, Ann Elizabeth. Sadie Can Count. illus. by author. Sensational Bks. 2006. Tr $29.95. ISBN 978-0-9770054-8-2.
PreS-Gr 3–This concept book is for very young children and beginning Braille readers. In addition to being a counting and color teaching aid, the embossed pictures encourage tactile acuity and discernment, enhancing the experience for all readers. Constructed like a bilingual text, this is a delightfully different choice for your users, and for niches such as Montessori students and children with autism.
DODDS, Dayle Ann. Minnie’s Diner: A Multiplying Menu. illus. by John Manders. Candlewick. 2004. RTE $16.99. ISBN 978-0-7636-1736-3; pap. $6.99. ISBN 978-0-7636-3313-4.
K-Gr 2–There are cows to be milked, fences to be painted, and lots of other chores to do, so Farmer McKay instructs his five sons, “There’ll be no eatin’ till your work is through.” Too bad the smell of Minnie’s famous hot cherry pie is too tempting to resist! From youngest to oldest, each of the brothers sneaks to the diner, successively ordering twice the amount of food than the brother before. A simple rhyming story that demonstrates multiplication in an easy-to-digest serving.
JOCELYN, Marthe. One Some Many. illus. by Tom Slaughter. Tundra. 2004. Tr $11.95. ISBN 978-0-88776-675-6; pap. $7.95. ISBN 978-0-88776-789-0.
PreS-Gr 1–This toddler-sized book provides an excellent introduction to number and group concepts with boldly colored cut-paper illustrations. There are multiple counting opportunities on each page–a pair of daisies introduces “two” while the petals allow a discussion of “many.” Slaughter cleverly works in repetitive shapes and color combinations to further reinforce visual learning.
TANG, Greg. Math Fables. illus. by Heather Cahoon. Scholastic. 2004. Tr $16.95. ISBN 978-0-439-45399-8.
PreS-Gr 2–No one does math like Tang! This teachers’ favorite combines humorous rhyming text and illustrations with basic math concepts of grouping, addition, and subtraction. An author’s note provides tips for using this title, and the closing page suggests a variety of practice activities to put kids on “the road to higher math.”
Remarkable Reads are produced by the editors of NoveList, NoveList K-8, and Book Index with Reviews (
