Seeing Symmetry by Loreen Leedy

Leedy is once again tackling nonfiction, in this case math, using her picture book format.  In Seeing Symmetry, Leedy is examining symmetry through a variety of pictures:  nature, design, drawing, etc.  A great book for students just learning about symmetry.

Loreen Leedy website click here!

Zero the Hero by Joan Holub

The other numbers think zero is worth nothing…nada….diddly squat….useless. From addition to subtraction, zero is nonexistent! When it comes to division, forget it. Zero decides to roll away. Then one day, Zero the Hero must swoop in and help save the day when the other numbers are taken over by the Roman Numerals. This book is HILARIOUS!! I was cracking up the whole time....HOWEVER reading it aloud to a group of kids may be challenging as the quotes in speech bubbles really make it funnier but may be hard to include in the reading aloud. Some kids may not get all the humor.

Text: 5 Buckeye leaves

Illustrations: 5 Buckeye leaves

Just a Second by Steve Jenkins

Love this book! This will be perfect for my older (4th and 5th gr) students because it is PACKED with interesting tibits of information like:

In one minute a charging grizzly bear gallops one half-mile.

In one second a cheetah sprinting flat out can travel 100 feet.

In one hour 15,913 people are born and 6,933 people die.

The book lends itself to interesting lessons about not just time but other number and measurement concepts.

Text: 5 Buckeye leaves

Illustrations: 4 Buckeye leaves

Help Me Learn Numbers 0-20 by Jean Marzollo

I would argue that every preschool, kindergarten, and 1st grade classroom (as well as special needs classrooms and ESL classrooms) should have this book. Clear, photographs on each page with a corresponding rhyme for each number. Great fun for kids to practice their counting AND rhyming! Two for the price of one!

Gingerbread faces

all in a line

How many are there?

I count _________ (nine)

I read it with Adam and he really "got it" though I think he was understanding the rhyming part more so than some of the higher numbers....still working on those.

Text: 4 Buckeye leaves

Illustrations: 4 Buckeye leaves

Whole-y Cow! Fractions Are Fun by Taryn Souders

This is a fun farmyard introduction to fraction told in rhyme. Starting with a plain cow whose friends decide to paint one half BLUE! Each time a new fraction is introduced, questions prompt readers to think about the fraction as it relates.

"One whole cow patriotic through and through, worse a swimsuit that was red, white, and blue."

The text is accompanied by an illustration which can help readers decide which fraction is the appropriate answer. Extensions, with more complicated fraction related questions, could be developed to accompany this book. Great addition to any school library and/or younger elementary classroom.

Text: 5 Buckeye leaves
Illustrations: 4 Buckeye leaves

Ten For Me by Barbara Mariconda

Yahoo for math picture books!!!!kids need to see more connections between literature and math but that is for another day....

Two friends, Rose and Ed, head out to see who can catch the most butterflies. Ed takes an early lead with 10 butterflies on the first day. And Rose? Zero. Things are looking up, slightly, on day 2 when Rose catches 1 and Ed, 8. At first glance, this is an addition book. BUT there is so much more...patterns, predicting, subtraction. Every school should have this book available for teachers to use. AND there is a whole section at the end for ideas of how to use the book in the classroom! LOVE IT!!! Authors/illustrators understanding the busy lives of teachers!!

Text: 5 Buckeye Leaves
Illustrations: 5 Buckeye leaves

Teddy Bear Counting by Barbara Barbieri McGrath

Red, yellow, green, and blue, the gummy-like bears introduce themselves on the first page and take off on a jumping, twirling, spinning adventure of counting, addition, subtraction, division, patterns, sorting, shapes, and addition. Simple text and illustrations along with printed concepts, allow for numerous lessons. Great introduction to elementary concepts.

Story: 4 Buckeye leaves
Illustrations: 5 Buckeye leaves - simple but portray the concepts clearly

The Lion's Share by Matthew McElligott

Again, not new one, copyright 2009, but in an effort to prepare for a presentation in May, I am searching for math books and this is one we have on our shelves but does not get checked out. A very small ant is invited to the Lion's dinner party with numerous other animals. The ant is shocked how the other animals act. After dinner, a cake is brought out. The animals are each asked to take some of the cake. As each animal is cutting the cake the fraction of cake is getting smaller and smaller despite each animal taking "half". Ant is last and must decide how to divide the small. Portion for herself and lion. A lesson in fractions, kid's will delight in "seeing" what happens to the cake size. Great book for fractions!!

Story: 5 buckeye leaves
Illustrations: 5 buckeye leaves

How To Train With A T.Rex and Win 8 Gold Medals

This book is not new, copyright 2009, but it was new to me AND it is MATH related. Olympic Medal winner Michael Phelps shares how he trained to prepare for his swimming events in the 2008 Summer Olympic Games. What I think is great about this book is how Michael Phelps along with co-author Alan Abrahamson related the many things about his training to real life. For example, in the book Michael writes, "Every day I took a three-hour nap. That's 6,552 hours of naptime over six years. Put it all together, I napped for 273 days..." Finding good, FUN, picture books for math is a challenge. Furthermore finding books that promotes a sport that is not awalys in the mainstream is always a good things. And yes, I swam competively through high school.

Story: 5 Buckeye leaves
Illustrations: 5 Buckeye leaves - VERY funny! The illustrations go perfectly with some of the outlandish facts and comparison being used throughout the book.