Animals on Board: Adding (Mathstart. Level 2) - Hardcover

Murphy, Stuart J.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0060274425 ISBN 13: 9780060274429

Publisher: Harpercollins Childrens Books, 1998

Synopsis

Introduces simple addition through a rhyming text about animals being delivered for a merry-go-round

About this title

About the Author

Stuart J. Murphy is the author of all eighteen MathStart books. He lives in Evanston, IL.

R.W. Alley lives in Barrington, RI.

Reviews

PreSchool-Grade 2-This picture book tells a story and reinforces the concept of addition. The lively watercolor illustrations serve both missions well. While on the road, a female truck driver and a dog are passed by many other vehicles loaded with various animals. As their journey advances so do the math problems, going from the simple "3 + 2 = 5" to the final "9 + 0 = 9." However, there is no logical progression in the examples provided; why does "6 + 1 = 7" follow "3 + 2 = 5?" The text is told in rhyme, which adds to the sense of movement but it is rather singsong. All of the characters end up at a carousel (made from the drivers' freight) and the final illustrations capture their joy and excitement. The book ends with a two-page spread of suggested activities for kids and adults. The "Level 2" designation suggests that this is designed for ages 6 and up but the simplicity of the story and rhyme as well as the juvenile nature of the illustrations would be more appealing to a younger audience.
Edith Ching, St. Albans School, Mt. St. Alban, Washington, DC
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From the MathStart series, this story in rhyme lays out five simple addition problems. A truck driver, Jill, watches as a series of trucks--all pulling different animals--pass her by. The math gets worked into the story as Jill adds, for example, the six swans on one truck to the one swan on a second truck (6+1=7 is imbedded in the text). Using this pattern, the reader is able to practice addition while guessing the trucks' final destination. The last line of the story reads "Can you find 5 tigers, 7 swans, 8 frogs, 10 horses, and 9 pandas?" , and Alley's watercolor shows a giant carousel. Two pages of activities are appended, but an obvious omission is asking children to calculate the total number of animals on the carousel. Kathy Broderick

Edition details

• Publisher: Harpercollins Childrens Books
• Publication date: 1998
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0060274425
• ISBN 13: 9780060274429
• Binding: Hardcover
• Illustrator: Alley R. W.
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 40