Tic Tac Toe: Three in a Row

A popular game becomes a geometry lesson in a Hello Math Reader that finds a surprised Joe learning that there is more than one way to line up three things in a row. Original.

PreSchool-Grade 1AThis series title focuses on logical reasoning through the use of tic-tac-toe. Joe teaches his dog about the game and then seeks another competitor. A friend who lives in a tree house agrees to play. When she proves to be more adept at the game than Joe, she shows him how to win. The story ends with the two discovering another child to join in the fun. The concept is good, the story slight. The illustrations are vivid and entertaining. Four pages of suggested math activities complete the package. This book will have more of an audience with parents and teachers than with children.ASuzanne Hawley, Laurel Oak Elementary School, Naples, FL
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Gr. K^-1. From the Hello Math Reader series, this simple story with its bouncy, rhyming text introduces Joe, who is just learning to play tic-tac-toe. His pal is glad to play with him and quick to win. Joe listens as she tells him the different ways to win the game; then they prepare to play again. Tic-tac-toe fans will wonder why Joe's so slow to pick up the game, but maybe feeling superior to him will give beginning readers a little more confidence as they practice their new skills. Large in scale and attractively composed, the artwork defines the characters and spaces with broad lines and blocks of vibrant colors. A few pages of Marilyn Burns' suggestions for math-related activities complete the book. Carolyn Phelan