Captain Invincible and the Space Shapes (MathStart 2) - Softcover

Murphy, Stuart J.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0064467317 ISBN 13: 9780064467315

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

Captain Invicible and the Space Shapes is perfect for teaching 3-dimensional shapes to first, second, and third graders. Captain Invincible and his space-dog, Comet, are on a perilous journey back to Earth! Throughout their mission, the fearless captain and his canine sidekick encounter asteroids, poisonous gas, and alien beings. But will their knowledge of three-dimensional shapes, including cubes, cones, and pyramids, help our heroes navigate past these obstacles—and make it safely home? 

Kids will love the story and the illustrations by Remy Simard. Parents and educators will love how the story and pictures make understanding the math concepts 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 = Fun!

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.

Rémy Simard has two hands. With one hand, he has written several children's books, including My Dog Is An Elephant. With the other, he draws little things like cars, rockets, and stars. Captain Invincible And The Space Shapes is his first book to be published in the United States. He lives in Montreal, Canada.

From the Back Cover

Captain Invincible and his intrepid space-dog, Comet, are on a perilous journey back to Earth!

Throughout their mission, the fearless captain and his canine sidekick encounter asteroids, poisonous gas, and alien beings. But will their knowledge of three-dimensional shapes, including cubes, cones, and pyramids, help our heroes navigate past these obstacles -- and make it safely home?

Reviews

Kindergarten-Grade 4-An excellent tool for introducing a unit on three-dimensional shapes. After conquering galaxies, Captain Invincible and his space-dog, Comet, prepare for an adventurous return to Earth in their spaceship Hawk. Using the Space Shaper panel, with its three-dimensional buttons that include a cube, a cone, and a pyramid, the captain and the pup wage a battle against a meteor shower, poison gas, a flying saucer, and a galactic beast. Just as the two are about to land safely, a beam of light floods their spaceship, and an open bedroom door reveals the true source of this journey-a child's late-night, wondrous imagination with the help of paper, scissors, and Scotch tape. The bold cartoon art in deep, bright colors draws readers into this fun and exciting story that is a vehicle for learning to recognize and define geometric shapes. The concluding reinforcement strategies and activities are very good. A good choice as a read-aloud or for independent reading.
Wanda Meyers-Hines, Ridgecrest Elementary, Huntsville, AL
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Gr. 1-4. In this new entry in Murphy's MathStart (level two) series, young astronaut Captain Invincible gives his dog, Comet, a crash course in geometry. Piloting through space the pair encounters several dangerous situations, which they avert by pushing one of six three-dimensional buttons on their instrument panel, ejecting a corresponding Spacer Shape that does the job. When an ominous gas invades the ship, for instance, Captain Invincible pushes a conically shaped button, releasing a cone that sucks up the gas through its circular base. The glossy Jetson-like cartoon illustrations have high entertainment value, the shapes are clearly identifiable, and the story gives the math lesson an out-of-this-world appeal. Shelley Townsend-Hudson
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Edition details

• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Publication date: 2001
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0064467317
• ISBN 13: 9780064467315
• Binding: Paperback
• Illustrator: Simard Remy
• Edition number: 2
• Number of pages: 40