By Luisa LaFleur, The Children’s Book Review
Published: July 24, 2009
by Michelle Markel (Author), Doug Cushman (Illustrator)
Reading level: Ages 6-9
Hardcover: 32 pages
Publisher: Tricycle Press (July 14, 2009)
Tyrannosaurus Math, by Michelle Markel, tells the tale of a dinosaur with a knack for math.
The story’s friendly main character, Tyrannosaurus Math, bursts out of his shell counting. He’s a natural mathematician who goes about counting up everything he sees. As he grows, so do his math skills; readers are introduced to multiplication, division, fractions and even simple geometry. The story combines dinosaurs and prehistoric daily life with basic math concepts that will surely encourage even the most reluctant math students. Any dinosaur-enthusiast will love the detailed illustrations of the
many different dinosaurs that our math whiz encounters on a daily
basis.
Publisher’s synopsis: This T-Rex was born with number smarts! Youngsters ages 6-9 will get a peek at his number-crunching skills as he adds up an entire herd of triceratops, or multiplies the legs of a group of ankylosaurs, & estimates the distance to his next tasty meal. Delightful & humorous introduction to more than ten math skills.
Add this book to your collection: Tyrannosaurus Math
Starring Lorenzo, and Einstein Too
by Mark Karlins (Author), Sandy Nichols (Illustrator)
Reading level: Ages 3-7
Hardcover: 32 pages
Publisher: Dial (April 2, 2009)
Starring Lorenzo and Einstein Too, by Mark Karlins, is a story about a strange boy born to an equally strange family. His parents and sisters, the Fabulous Fortunatos, are performers–his dad juggles, his mom sings and his twin sisters play the banjo and tell jokes. Lorenzo, unfortunately, isn’t a performer. His talent is in math and science. His curious mind leads him away from the theater and into space. With a guest appearence by none other than Albert Einstein, Lorenzo finds that although he may be different, he’s still definitely talented.
Publisher’s synopsis: The Fabulous Fortunatos sing, dance, and juggle brilliantly, so Lorenzo is sure he has been born in to the wrong family—the only thing he can do is math! In fact, he’s been building a spaceship on the family’s Brooklyn roof. One day, Albert Einstein attends the show, and he recognizes the scribbles on Lorenzo’s hand for what they are: genius. The two blast off on a zany adventure, but when homesickness sneaks up on Lorenzo, he learns an important lesson—his family misses him too, and it takes more than one type of talent to make the Fortunatos fabulous.
This endearing and silly story celebrates the power of individuality, the importance of big imagination, and the ways we all fit in—even when we least expect it.
Add this book to your collection: Starring Lorenzo, and Einstein Too
