The Good Neighbors' Cheese Feast; A Cheesy Mouse Tale of Subtraction with Regrouping (Good Neighbors Math)
In this picture book, children meet Onesie, Tenor, and Hund-Red, three neighborly mice with varying appetites for cheesy snacks resembling the cubes, rods, and flats that comprise base-ten block sets. As the book progresses through the single subtraction problem 753-485, the author uses a clever context - the cheese feast - to illustrate a motivation for exchanging various-sized cheese cuts in a way that is analogous to regrouping with base-ten blocks. Although the problem is not explicitly stated, each step of the standard algorithm for subtraction is modeled through cheese exchanges, making this appropriate for children in grade 2 or above. For example, when Onesie's recipe calls for five cheese cubes but he has only three, he borrows a ten-cube cheese stick from Tenor and cuts it into cubes, using the needed two and "storing" the eight-cubes that remain.  A well-thought-out story line connects nicely to the idea of subtraction with regrouping - with reflective questions, such as, "How many cubes did I have altogether?" every few pages. to help readers think about the mathematical ideas being modeled. However, the story line is so detailed and the subtraction steps are so heavily embedded in the context that children are unlikely t fully recognize the mathematical connections without teacher intervention and multiple readings. To help students attend to the mathematical ideas underlying this engaging story, teachers may find the provided record sheets to be a useful tool for follow-up readings - Gina Garza-King, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, MI 49009 --Teaching Children Mathematics, Reviewing and Viewing - February 2011This is an excellent book to use several different ways according to the needs of your students. It would be great for the beginning of the year when you are beginning place value and working with place value charts. Since I got this later in the year, I have used it with my students who need remediation in place value. It works for small groups just as well as whole groups. This book is very kid friendly and easy for the students to understand. This is a great math literacy book, It is excellent for working with number sense and place value. I would recommend this product to teachers of second and third grades. It can be used for whole group or for small group instruction or remediation. - Learning Magazine Teachers' Choice Award for Children's Books 2011 product judge --Learning Magazine Teachers' Choice Award for Children's Books - judge's commentsThe book held the children's interest and they really liked the pictures. I liked the way Spanish was used in the book. My ELL students responded to this in a positive way. The story was not too long and all the children paid attention. The visual on the last two pages helped to explain regrouping in a visual way. This is a great book to use with Math when doing subtraction with regrouping. This book would be a great asset to a teacher's "toolbox" when teaching Math in any grade 1st through 5th. - Learning Magazine Teacher's Choice Award for Children's Books 2011 product judge --Learning Magazine Teachers' Choice Award for Children's Books - judge's comments