Basher Basics: Math: A Book You Can Count On - Softcover

Basher, Simon; Green, Dan

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0753464195 ISBN 13: 9780753464199

Publisher: Kingfisher, 2010

Synopsis

Basher Basics: Math, A Book You Can Count On created and illustrated by Simon Basher:

Meet Zero, a bubbly fellow who will dissolve you to nothing, and say hello to the all-action Units, who just love to measure. Get a load of greedy Multiply, a big guy who hoards numbers together, and stand amazed by mysterious Pi, who goes on and on and on . . . to Infinity!

Multiply your number know-how with Basher's unique one-stop guide to the building blocks of mathematics. Packed with top tips and memorable characters, this is an essential book for students ages 8 and up.

About this title

About the Authors

Artist and designer Simon Basher has fun playing in the world of contemporary character design. Inspired by a love of simple line work and a rich color palette, his characters fill the gap between edgy manga and the cuteness of Hello Kitty. He lives in England.

Dan Green is a freelance science writer and editor who consulted on Basher's previous book for Kingfisher, The Periodic Table.

Reviews

Gr 4-8–Two new titles follow the format of Green and Basher's Physics and Biology (both Kingfisher, 2008) and other visually appealing introductions to the sciences. Chemistry begins with a short overview of the discipline and information on Antoine Lavoisier's 18th-century scientific findings. Concepts are grouped by associations: “Basic States” (solid, liquid, etc.), “Nuts and Bolts” (atom, ion, etc.), “Nasty Boys” (acid, base, etc.), and more. The individual concepts are each introduced over a spread that features a computer-generated cartoon of a character representing the idea and a brief introduction to its characteristics and personality. Math follows a similar format, but without an introduction. Chapters include, among others: “Number Bunch” (zero, infinity, etc.), “Special Sum-Things” (add, subtract, etc.), and “Shape Shifters” (line, angle, etc.). In both books, the information is presented in a chatty, first-person voice. For example, “Acid” announces: “The most notorious of the Nasty Boys. I'm mad, bad, and thoroughly dangerous to know. Given the chance, I'll eat away at Metal and burn through your skin!” Other basic facts are provided in bullet points and small boxed areas. Thee worthwhile library purchases would make handy curriculum supplements.–Maren Ostergard, King County Library System, Issaquah, WAα(c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

This nicely designed paperback from the Basher Books series introduces basic mathematical terms such as zero, line, pi, quadrilaterals, ratio, bar graph, and x (representing unknown quantities). Each one, personified in the accompanying digital illustration, speaks for itself. Subtract begins, “People often think I’m gloomy. Okay, I admit it, I’m the exact opposite of Add, that bubbly ball of smirking positivity. Later Subtract touches on subtracting negative numbers and offers a mental-math puzzler with an alternate method of reaching the solution. Reminiscent of Japanese cartoons, the colorful, iconic illustrations of the characters are appealing enough to disarm many mathphobic students, while those who love the subject will be in their element. The accompanying poster can be easily detached from the back cover. Appealing to a broad range of readers, this little book introduces plenty of ideas to build on while presenting familiar concepts in a fresh way. Grades 4-7. --Carolyn Phelan

Edition details

• Publisher: Kingfisher
• Publication date: 2010
• ISBN 10: 0753464195
• ISBN 13: 9780753464199
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 64
• Illustrator: Basher Simon