What's the Difference? An Endangered Animal Subtraction Story (Arbordale Collection) - Hardcover

Suzanne Slade

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1607180707 ISBN 13: 9781607180708

Publisher: Sylvan Dell Publishing, 2010

Synopsis

In Suzanne Slade's latest book, What's the Difference?, you can celebrate the huge difference caring people make for endangered animals while you practice subtraction skills. In this sequel to her popular addition title, What's New at the Zoo?, Slade presents a new subtraction problem in each clever rhyming verse. The colorful watercolors include realistic animals set in lush spreads by illustrator, Joan Waites. So join in the celebration of our world's precious animals in this exciting new title, and have fun practicing math skills along the way! The For Creative Minds educational section includes: Endangered Animal Vocabulary; Food Chains and Webs; Missing Links in Food Chains; Endangered Animals; Fact Families.

About this title

About the Author

Suzanne Slade is the author of over 60 books for children. Her works include picture books, biographies, as well as many non-fiction titles about animals, sports, insects, planets, and various science topics. One of her favorite parts of the writing process is researching and learning about new topics. Ms. Slade lives near Chicago with her husband, Mike, two children, and their tiny dog, Corduroy. Joan Waites has been a freelance illustrator for the past 18 years. She received a Bachelor of Science degree from DeSales University in 1982. Employment followed for 15 years as a neo-natal intensive care nurse in Philadelphia and Washington DC, while she simultaneously returned to college to study illustration and launch her freelance career. In addition to What s the Difference? and What's New at the Zoo?, Joan has illustrated nearly 40 books for the educational and trade marketplace. She is also an adjunt faculty member of The Corcoran Museum School of Art and Design in Washington, DC, where she teaches various children's classes for the college's Aspiring Artists program.

From the Back Cover

What’s the Difference? weaves subtraction and endangered species education into rhyming, cross-curricular family fun.

Reviews

Grade 1–3—More than math concepts are explored in this picture book that combines subtraction with animal facts. Each spread features rhyming text about an endangered animal, a math problem, and a useful paragraph explaining why the featured animal is/was endangered. "Six silly prairie dogs/frolic most the day. One guards the colony./How many dogs at play?" is matched with "6-1 = ?" Twelve animals are explored in this fashion, and the text culminates with the explanation that it is up to "kind, caring people" to help the creatures survive. In fact, each muted watercolor illustration features a person somewhere on the spread. The book concludes with a "For Creative Minds" section that contains "Endangered Animal Vocabulary," "Food Chains & Webs," "Missing Links in Food Chains," and questions that can be answered by reading the text.—Stacy Dillon, LREI, New York City
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Similar in format to its companion book What's New at the Zoo? An Animal Adding Adventure (2009), this picture book introduces a dozen endangered, threatened, and recovered species while offering practice in subtraction. Each double-page spread includes a simple subtraction problem (“6 - 1 = ?”); a related rhymed couplet about a group of animals (“Six silly prairie dogs / frolic most the day. / One guards the colony. / How many dogs at play?”); and a paragraph of information about threats to the species and its current status of endangerment. An intriguing feature on the appended pages is a chart showing what happens to an ocean habitat when one species, sea otters, disappears from the area's food chain. The paintings clearly depict the animals and settings, although there is occasional awkwardness in figure drawing as well as the scale. Though not a necessary purchase, this blend of math practice and science facts may be useful to supplement classroom units in either area. Preschool-Grade 3. --Carolyn Phelan

Edition details

• Publisher: Sylvan Dell Publishing
• Publication date: 2010
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1607180707
• ISBN 13: 9781607180708
• Binding: Hardcover
• Illustrator: Joan C. Waites
• Number of pages: 32