One Smiling Grandma by Anne Marie Linden; Lynne RussellReview by: David J. WhitinThe Arithmetic Teacher, Vol. 41, No. 8 (APRIL 1994), p. 503Published by: National Council of Teachers of MathematicsStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/41196072 .

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pace in a mathematics class or as topics for a mathematics club. - Thomas О 'Shea.

MATHNET Casebook: #1, The Case of the Unnatural and #2, Despair in Monterey Bay, David D. Connell and Jim Thurman, ill us. by Danny O'Leary. 1993, 62 pp. and 64 pp. respectively, $4.50 ea. paper. ISBN 0-7167-6504-7 and 0-7167-6502-0. Scientific American Books for Young Readers, W. H. Freeman á Co., 41 Madison Ave., New York, NY 10010.

MATHNET Casebooks 1 and2 offer an enticing format for upper elementary or early middle school students. The multidisciplinary approach to mathematics is intriguing and cannot but help to draw the students into solving the cases and doing the mathematics.

The references to violence might be objectionable to some educators and parents even though it is accompanied by subtle humor.

Problem-solving and critical-thinking situations abound throughout the book and present a wonderful scenario on which to base real-life mathematical skills.

Book 1 includes gathering data about baseball (total bases and slugging averages), guess-my- rule activities, and alphanumeric codes and other baseball facts. Book 2 includes measurement of gems and precious stones, triangulation, and time zones.

In my opinion, this series is delightful for eleven- to thirteen-year-olds who need to see the connections between mathematics and real life. - Mary Kepple, Friendship Valley Elementary School, Westminster, MD 21157.

Moving from One to Ten, Shari Halpem. 1993, 29pp., $13.95 cloth. ISBN 0-02-74 1981- 9. Macmillan Children's Book Group, 866 Third Ave., 24th Floor, New York, NY 10022.

A moving adventure is the context for this counting book. After saying good-bye to all his friends, a young boy named David embarks on one long car ride, accompanied by two angry cats, three worried sisters, four handy tools (crayons, cookies, books, and a drink to keep him busy and well fed), five overnight bags, and six tired people. When they reach their destination, the counting continues with seven moving men, eight special boxes, nine new neighbors, and ten green bushes in front of "our new house." The illustrations are particularly colorful and inviting. The author- illustrator has cut and pasted pieces of painted paper together to create crisp and joyful images across the page; objects are placed against a clear white background and are easy for young children to count. This story might prompt children to tell some of their own moving stories. - David J. Whitin.

My First Number Book. Marie Heinst. 1992, 48 pp., $12.95 cloth. ISBN 1-879431- 73-4. Dor ling Kinde rs ley, 232 Madison Ave., New York, NY 10016.

This number book for primary-grade students presents them with a variety of mathematical concepts and strategies. It begins by asking readers to sort various objects, such as animals, clothes, leaves, and fruit. Children note similarities and differences among objects as they are introduced to pairs of things, such as ballet shoes, twins, and a set of faucets, as well as to "partners" of two, such as a knife and a fork or a paintbrush and a bottle of paint. The strategy of finding patterns is also presented to readers through the use of blocks, beads, and sponge-painted dinosaurs. The concept of equivalence is shown through contrasting sets of candy, butterflies, and children. Another prenumber concept, that of order or seriation, is represented through sets of pencils, playing cards, and different-aged children. Several pages show the functionality of numbers in the real world, such as the numbers on a dart board, a watch, a license plate, a kitchen timer, and a cereal box. Several pages are also devoted to some basic problems using addition and subtraction. The latter part of the book addresses several measurement concepts as children are asked to compare objects of different length, width, thickness, and weight.

One of the strengths of the book is the use of bright, colorful photographs silhouetted against a crisp, white background. The large size of the book (10" X 13") helps to make the objects seem less cluttered on the page. Each page includes a series of questions that invite the reader to be an active participant in reading this book. For instance, on the page involving time, readers are asked, "How far can you run in ten seconds? How long does it take you to jump ten times? What are some other activities you can time?" Certain pages, such as this one, could lead to a variety of classroom extensions. Since this book involves so many mathematical ideas, teachers might want to share only parts of this book at one time. - David J. Whitin.

One Smiling Grandma, Anne Marie Linden, illus. by Lynne Russell. 1992, 22 pp., $15 cloth. ISBN 0-8037-1132-8. Viking Penguin, 375 Hudson St., New York, NY 10014.

This counting book for young children introduces the numbers 1 to 10 as a young girl describes various sights on her Caribbean island. In rhyming format readers hear about "One smiling grandma in a rocking chair / Two yellow bows tied on braided hair / Three humming birds sipping nectar sweet / Four steel drums tapping out the beat," and so on. Other objects for counting include flying fish,

women in the marketplace, conch shells, sugar apples (pineapples), coconuts, and mongooses. The illustrations are bright and colorful and depict a variety of daily activities. The placement of objects on a page is carried out with mixed results. For instance, six market ladies selling their wares are nicely divided into two groups of three by the young girl as she stands between the groups and makes a purchase; however, it is difficult to count the nine coconuts because two fall in the gutter of the book and lay hidden from the reader. Teachers might want to contrast this book with another recent Caribbean counting book by S. T. Garne, One White Sail (New York: Simon & Schuster, 1992).- David J. Whitin.

Only One, Marc Harshman, illus. by Barbara Garrison. 1993, 32 pp., $12.99 cloth. ISBN 0- 525-65116-0. Cobblehill Books, 375 Hudson St., New York, NY 10014, (212) 366-2628.

Here is a unique counting book centered on a country fair. Sets of objects that are typically seen at a fair are represented, such as musicians, wagons, rabbits, horses on a merry-go-round, cows, and so on. However, the special feature of this book is the contrast between individual objects and the larger set. For instance, the story begins, "There may be a million stars, but there is only one sky." This same predictable structure is used throughout the story; "There may be 50,000 bees, but there is only one hive. There may be 500 seeds, but there is only one pumpkin," and so on. Readers learn about 100 patches in only one quilt, 12 eggs but only one dozen, 1 1 cows but only one herd, 10 cents but only one dime. Other numbers include 9 baseball players (one team), 8 horses (one merry-go-round), and 7 peas (one pod).

This book might be the beginning point for various explorations. Children might want to find other things in the words that are grouped in a specific set, such as five fingers, five days of the week, five arms of a starfish, and five sticks of gum. Two good books to read in this connection are What Comes in 2 's, 3's, and 4fs? by Suzanne Aker (New York: Simon & Schuster, 1990) and Notorious Numbers by Paul Giganti (San Leandro, Calif.: Teaching Resource Center, 1993).

Children might also be intrigued by the language of mathematics; the author includes such descriptions as a trio of musicians, a dozen eggs, and a herd of cows. What other words do we use to describe a specific number of objects (such as a gross of pencils or a ream of paper) or a general collection of objects (such as a load of wood or a gaggle of geese)? Other books that incorporate this idea include Tana Hoban's More Than One (New York: Greenwillow Books, 1981) and Patricia MacCarthy's Herds of Words (New York: Dial, 1991).

APRIL 1994 503

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