Math Fables Too: Making Science Count
Kindergarten-Grade 2—In this companion book toMath 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 School, San Antonio, TXCopyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.