Circus Shapes: Level 1, Recognizing Shapes (Mathstart)

Murphy, Stuart J.; Miller, Edward

ISBN 10: 0060274379 ISBN 13: 9780060274375

Publisher: HarperCollins, 1998

Synopsis

Dancing bears, giant elephants, and beautiful horses fill the pages while preschool readers search for the various shapes placed all around the circus setting.

About this title

About the Author

Stuart J. Murphy is a visual learning specialist. A graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design, he has a strong background in design and art direction. He also has extensive experience in the world of educational publishing. Drawing on all these talents, Stuart J. Murphy brings a unique perspective to the MathStart series. In MathStart books, pictures do more than tell stories; they teach math.

Stuart J. Murphy and his wife, Nancy, live in Evanston, Illinois.

Reviews

PreSchool-K?A book that teaches shape recognition cloaked in a story about a circus performance. Circles, squares, rectangles, and triangles are introduced on every other spread. The illustrations are very simple and linear, allowing children to identify the various shapes that appear in the pictures. Unfortunately, although Miller uses bold, primary colors, the illustrations lack the excitement and movement associated with a circus. The text is dry and forced in some spots, such as "Some monkeys make a square. The four sides are all the same." However, the straightforward narrative does make the information accessible. More visually attractive books on the topic include Lois Ehlert's Color Zoo (1989) and Circus (1992, both HarperCollins), and Tana Hoban's Shapes, Shapes, Shapes (Greenwillow, 1986).?Lisa Gangemi Krapp, Sousa Elementary School, Port Washington, NY
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Edition details

• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Publication date: 1998
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0060274379
• ISBN 13: 9780060274375
• Binding: Library Binding
• Number of pages: 40