Probably Pistachio (Mathstart. Level 2) - Hardcover

Murphy, Stuart J.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 006028028X ISBN 13: 9780060280284

Publisher: HarperColl, 2001

Synopsis

Nothing goes right for Jack all day long. He can't find his favorite sneakers, he spills milk on his math homework, and worst of all, he gets tuna fish for lunch. Will things ever get better?

Readers will learn how to tell when something is certain, more likely, less likely, or impossible as Jack keeps hoping his streak of bad luck will break. Maybe, just maybe, pistachio ice cream for dessert will do the trick. But will it happen? Considering how Jack's day has been going, PROBABLY NOT!

About this title

About the Authors

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 Boston.

Marsha Winborn, illustrator of A Valentine for Norman Noggs, has also illustrated Grandma's Cat and the Digby and Kate series. She lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Marsha Winborn es ilustradora de varios libros para lectores jóvenes, incluyendo A Valentine for Norman Noggs, por Valiska Gregory, Pepper's Journal y Probably Pistachio por Stuart J. Murphy, y Eggnapped!, por Marisa Montes.

Reviews

Grade 1-2-Jack is having a bad day. Everything goes wrong, from his alarm clock not going off in the morning to his futile hopes of pizza for dinner. The word "probably" is used several times, along with related possibilities, like "usually" and "sometimes." Even though the coach "nearly always" chooses teams a certain way, today he changes his method, and Jack and his friend are separated. With an "even chance" that Mom brought home his favorite ice cream, she pulls out his sister's favorite (but she also had his favorite in the bag). The cartoon illustrations extend the narrative, showing some activities not mentioned in the text, such as Jack spilling milk on his homework. Characters react to the action in dialogue balloons, and the protagonist's thought processes are shown as well. Winborn's characters have excellent facial expressions and Jack's dog has a personality of its own. While Judith Viorst gave readers the classic version of a truly bad day with Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day (Atheneum, 1972), Murphy uses it to illustrate probability instead.
Sharon R. Pearce, Geronimo Public School, OK
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Ages 6-8. "With Mom, Mondays mean it's probably pastrami. And pastrami is my favorite food in the whole world." Unfortunately for Jack, it's Dad's turn to fix lunch, and that's just the beginning of a bad day. In this MathStart entry, Stuart introduces the concept of probability. As Jack moves through his day, he makes a series of predictions based on good reasoning. As he thinks through the likelihood of each situation turning out in his favor, his thoughts appear in a cloud-shaped bubble above his head. Winborn's watercolors playfully depict Jack's misery as things go from bad to worse, until his bad luck finally ends when Mom brings home his favorite dessert, pistachio ice cream. As in Missing Mittens and other series titles, a closing section has follow-up activities to extend and enrich the lesson, as well as a short list of books with related themes. Lauren Peterson
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Edition details

• Publisher: HarperColl
• Publication date: 2001
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 006028028X
• ISBN 13: 9780060280284
• Binding: Hardcover
• Illustrator: Winborn Marsha
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 30