Pigs on the Ball : Fun With Math and Sports
Grade 1-3-In this fifth addition to the series, the focus is on geometry. Mom and the piglets blindfold dad and take him to the new "Sport-O-Rama" miniature golf course as a birthday surprise. With the promise of all-you-can-eat pizza as a prize, he is determined to score a winning number of holes in one. Unfortunately, the descriptions of Dad's putting performance are more ho-hum than fun, and forced, artificial language makes for awkward reading. For example, one of the piglets coaches dad with, "Just gently putt to the center of any one of the equal sides, and the ball will land in the cup." Tongue-in-cheek touches include the family's need to stop for a gargantuan "snack" at the fourth hole, but again the silliness is more tired than clever. Colorful, cartoon illustrations contribute a built-in vibrancy, but are often too busy to be easily shared with a group. Also, in spite of the promise of the subtitle, the only references to other sports are the background motifs for the miniature golf-course holes. Older students might have the patience to follow through with the math questions found at the end of the story, but don't count on it.Alicia Eames, New York City Public SchoolsCopyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.