Safari Park (MathStart 3) - Hardcover

Murphy, Stuart J.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0060289147 ISBN 13: 9780060289140

Publisher: HarperCollins, 2001

Synopsis

“Kids, young and old, fall in love with math when they see how real-life and effortless it becomes thanks to these books.” —Kimberly D. Mueller, Ed.D., First Grade Teacher, Ashbrook School, Lumberton NJ

Safari Park is perfect for teaching solving for unknowns to second, third, and fourth graders. It's 4 tickets for the Treetop Coaster! Just 2 for the Elephant Twirl! Five cousins each have 20 tickets to spend at Safari, and a little algebra will tell them how many rides they can try. But who will dare the death-defying Terrible Tarantula?

Kids will love the story and the funny illustrations by Steve Bjorkman. Parents and other educators will love how the story and pictures make understanding comparisons a breeze—as well as the concrete examples of how math works! The book contains activities for adults to do with kids to extend math into their own lives!

Math skills are life skills, and the MathStart series supports success!

• This award-winning series by Stuart J. Murphy teaches math through stories and visual models
• 63 books divided into three levels with 21 books in each
• Fun activities kids will love are included to help parents and teachers emphasize the lessons
• Engaging and relatable stories, with each story revolving around practical applications of the math concept presented
• Lively art from top-notch illustrators
• Charts and other visual representations help children understand how the math works and promote deeper comprehension

MathStart's unique combination of stories, illustrations, and visual models helps teachers and parents in the teaching of math and provides all children with the opportunity to succeed.

The math concepts taught in MathStart books conform to state and national standards. Level 1 is Pre-K–Kindergarten; Level 2 is Grades 1–3; Level 3 is Grades 2–4. The series follows math topics across grades so there is a foundational path to learning that runs through the levels.

Help kids with their math skills plus their reading skills with the engaging and fun MathStart series!

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.

Steve Bjorkman has illustrated nearly one hundred picture books, including the New York Times bestseller Dirt on My Shirt by Jeff Foxworthy. He has also sold millions of greeting cards through Recycled Paper Greetings with his brother, Carl. Steve lives with his wife in Irvine, California.

Reviews

Grade 2-3-Safari Park has just opened, and Grandpa has 100 free tickets that he divides evenly among his five grandchildren. With rides and games costing one, two, four, or six tickets each and a treat costing one, careful planning and figuring are needed. Suddenly, Paul realizes that he has lost his tickets, so the others must share theirs with him. Each child's choices are discussed, with Paul being disappointed that he doesn't have enough for the Terrible Tarantula. When given a ticket for the Rock Toss, he carelessly participates in the game but wins 18 free tickets, and then, on a repeat try, gets 18 more. Now everyone can ride the expensive Tarantula. A two-page addendum suggests additional ways to use the book and its mathematical concepts. The colorful but slightly garish cartoon illustrations add humor to the necessary, but tedious, work of making choices within the restrictions of an allotted budget. Good for a math lesson or independent reading, but too detailed and involved for a read-aloud.
Nancy A. Gifford, Schenectady County Public Library, NY
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Ages 6-9. From the MathStart series, this story begins with Grandpa taking his five grandchildren to the opening of Safari Park. Though each child starts out with 20 free tickets for rides, Paul promptly loses his. Grandpa decrees that each cousin must take Paul on a ride, which might take 2, 4, or 6 tickets. Other treats, such as food and games, cost 1 ticket. As they go through the day, intense mathematical calculations ensue as the kids figure out what they have spent, how much is left, and how they can spend it. The math is worked out visually on the pages, illustrated by lively, colorful ink-and-wash drawings. Younger children may enjoy this picture book as one of the few taking place at an amusement park; older students are more likely to take on the mathematical challenges presented. As Murphy notes in the two appended pages of complementary activities and suggested reading, this book offers experience in finding a missing element, "an important step in the development of algebraic thinking." Carolyn Phelan
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Edition details

• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Publication date: 2001
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0060289147
• ISBN 13: 9780060289140
• Binding: Hardcover
• Illustrator: Bjorkman Steve
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 40