Math Fables Too Reviews

Epinions.com

"This book isn't exclusively about adding but it does cover numbers and gives opportunity for counting along with showing the two numbers that can add up the main number discussed for each animal. It also focuses on providing a lot of of information about the animals included, with some less common animals in there too.

The first animal is a seahorse, and which there is 1, and talks about how he cares for his babies. There are 2 koalas, dolphins, herons, pilot whales, archerfish, bats, vultures, chimpanzees, and seagulls. For each number we learn the different combinations that make that number, like 2 and 6 vultures (totallling 8). It does not then do 6 and 2, it just has one set for each of the numbers, 1 and 7, 2 and 6, 3 and 5, 4 and 4.

We learn about the behaviors of these different types of animals. We learn how herons use traps/bait to catch fish, how archerfish spit to get bugs, and all the different types of bugs that bats eat.

The text is written by Greg Tang and it all rhymes. It flowed quite well as I read it aloud to my son. I think this would be a fun book to read in a kindergarten class. An Author's Note tells us he uses difficult vocabulary for 3-7 years to help introduce new words to children at the age when they really are picking up on new vocabulary so much. And he tells us that all the animals he chose use tools of some sort and he hoped to present that to children today when not too long ago it was thought that only humans used tools. As a parent I appreciated his page long author's note in a text size much more appropriate for adult readers.

Aside from the fun rhyming text and interesting topic inclusions, Math Fables Too has great colorful illustrations that will capture young audiences' attention. They are created by Taia Morley and are extremely bright and engaging. Since the animals aren't generic they do have the distinctive features so you can tell they are archerfish not just any fish, and herons, not just any waterbird. I am not sure but I'd guess the illustrations are created using comptuer graphics.

The end of the book has additional information about each of the animals included in the book. I skipped reading this with my son but it does have a few sentences of facts about each of the animals included, written in a much smaller font size.

Overall I believe this is a very well done book for young children. It is nice to look at, has lots of information about interesting, if not always as popular, animals, and includes the basics to counting. This is a fun one."


Children's Literature

"Counting is the first step and encounter of young children with math. This animal counting book takes the child several steps further. She will learn not only about numbers 1—10, but how a single countable group can be broken up into smaller groupings. For example, the child will read about and follow five pilot whales, which separate to swim safely out to sea, but before they succeed, they will group and regroup into all possible combinations that add up to five. With each number, a child will encounter a new group of animals and move smoothly from counting to decomposing the number into smaller units and putting it back together again. In the process of counting and adding, she will also pick up unique facts and vocabulary about koalas, bats, herons, chimps, fish, dolphins, seagulls, vultures, and sea horses. Is there more you could ask of a counting book? Well, this book will also draw any child's attention through its poetic rhyme and rhythm and bright illustrations. Like previous books by this author, it presents math concepts and problem-solving strategies in an accessible and creative way. This is a good investment for parents, teachers and tutors."

-- Lilliam Oliva Collmann


School Library Journal

"In this companion book to Math Fables (Scholastic, 2004), Tang offers 10 rhymes about animals that teach science concepts as well as basic arithmetic. In addition (no pun intended), each selection contains a moral, such as for the seahorse, "He's happy to be different—/it makes him more unique!" and for the herons, "They know the secret to success/is patience, smarts, and skill!" For number six, "Know Spitting" shows how the archerfish can aim at insects above the water and knock them into the water to catch their dinner. Then combinations of archerfish are shown in groups of five and one, four and two, and three and three. The author also encourages vocabulary growth by using words such as "din," "gorged," "physique," and "marsupials." The bright, bold computer-generated illustrations bring personality to the animals and create colorful displays for counting and adding. Further information about the animal highlighted in each rhyme is appended."

-- Sandra Welzenbach, Villarreal Elementary, San Antonio, TX
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