Which one doesn't belong? Playing with shapes by Christopher Danielson

This is one shape book that will both challenge readers’ thinking and encourage them to think outside the box. Kirkus Star review

I do love to browse the non fiction shelves in the library I visit each week - I always find so many quirky books.  If I was using this book with a class I would copy each page to display - one per week over a term and then invite the children to talk about their 'answers'. Actually the author explains there are no 'right' answers here - you just need to be able to justify your ideas.

This brightly coloured book has four shapes on each page with the question - which one doesn't belong. This book was published in 2019 but it is still available in paperback for a good price. 

Bookseller blurb: Written by a celebrated math educator, this innovative inquiry encourages critical thinking and sparks memorable mathematical conversations. Children and their parents answer the same question about each set of four shapes- "Which one doesn't belong?" There's no one right answer--the important thing is to have a reason why. Kids might describe the shapes as squished, smooshed, dented, or even goofy. But when they justify their thinking, they're talking math! Winner of the Mathical Book Prize for books that inspire children to see math all around them.

There is also a version of this book available with a teachers guide:

In the companion teacher's guide, (9781625310811) Danielson shows how to facilitate rich discussions and teach mathematical argumentation using Which One Doesn't Belong? He models how to listen closely and respectfully to students' ideas about shapes. Danielson synthesizes research about how children learn geometry, discusses the role of geometry in the mathematics curriculum, and gives plenty of practical advice about different ways to implement Which One Doesn't Belong? in classrooms.

Christopher Danielson has a PhD in Mathematics. Take a look at his webpage. He is clearly a very passionate educator. In this video (3 minutes) he talks about the inspiration for Which one doesn't belong? and as a bonus you can see inside the book. 

I am keen to look for this book too:

You're finally here! Melanie Watt

Do you know how long I've been waiting in here? Long enough to watch paint dry ... long enough to find a needle in a haystack ... long enough to learn an accordion solo ... long enough to gather dust bunnies.

Our narrator bunny is annoyed with waiting for YOU. He is also bored, impatient, and accuses you of extreme rudeness but if you agree to stay he has written a contract:

"This document states that YOU, the reader, hereby agree to stay with ME, the bunny (book character of YOU'RE FINALLY HERE!), forever and ever. YOU, the reader promise to devote all your attention exclusively to ME, the bunny. YOU, the reader, therefore agree never to keep ME, the bunny waiting again! And, oh yes, YOU, the reader, will provide ME, the bunny, with carrot treats every day."

If you are not laughing yet the final pages where our Bunny is interrupted by a series of mobile phone calls are sure give you (and your reading companion) a bucket load of giggles. Now who is left waiting? This book is perfect for young readers aged 6+ but I would also read it to older students and it would be a terrific present for a newly graduated law student too!

Mélanie Watt has taken the classic concept of a fictional character speaking to his audience and found some very interesting ways to make that concept fresh again. Watt’s little bunny is exuberant, pushy,passive-aggressive, charming, and very, very human and, I think, kids will adore how the bunny behaves less like a character in a book and more like a motor-mouthed friend or family member. Building a Library

Watt touches on all manner of manners issues here: the rudeness of pointing out rudeness, of being late, of being selfish, of being aloof and inconsiderate. She strikes a balance between the allure of the bunny’s hyper-­enthusiastic joy at receiving the reader’s attention, and the offensiveness of its egocentric – if not psychotic – neediness. Quill and Quire

Sorry to say this very, very funny book is now out of print. The hardcover edition was published in 2011 and the paperback in 2014. Hopefully you will find a copy in a well stocked library. In the meantime I did find a well made video of the whole book. For teachers and teacher-librarians this is a perfect book for the start of the year with a Grade Two class. I do love books that break the "fourth wall" such as Little Mouse, the ripe red Strawberry and the Big Hungry Bear; and Bear Hunt by Anthony Browne. 

Canadian author illustrator Melanie Watt is famous for her Scaredy Squirrel series.

I Yam a Donkey by Cece Bell

Language can be so confusing. "I am" - two words which might sound like "I yam".  Add in the complication of an actual Yam and a silly donkey and you have a perfect recipe for fun. The conversation goes back and forth and the frustration levels of poor Yam are so funny. This is a book to read aloud. It is sure to tickle your funny bone.

"Okay. So what you is saying is that you is a donkey, right?"
"NO! I am not a donkey! And it's not 'you is'! It's 'you are'! You are, you are, you are!"

I read one reviewer who mentioned children might not know about yams? 

The wordplay is kid-pleasingly silly with a tiny whiff of sophistication: you have to know what a yam is in order to get the joke, for example, and also have a rudimentary grasp of grammar. Horn Book

Image Source North Carolina Sweet Potatoes

You can see the art from this book here on Seven Impossible Things.

Here is another book by Cece Bell which I talked about on this blog - Rabbit and Robot - the Sleepover.

There is a sequel to I Yam A Donkey - You loves Ewe (2019).

I was interested to read Cece Bell is married to Tom Angleberger author of the terrific Origami Yodi series which are perfect for Middle Grade readers.

It is not on the same topic but I would pair I Yam a Donkey with Wonkey Donkey - just because it is another very funny book about donkeys.

That's (not) mine by Anna Kang illustrated by Christopher Weyant

Bear is sitting on "his" chair knitting a red and pink striped scarf. He looks very contented until a smaller bear arrives.

"That's my chair."

And so the argument begins.  The knitting is discarded. When words don't work the small bear decides to roll in with another chair - one of those spinning office chairs. It certainly looks like fun so the bigger bear takes a turn. Disaster! He returns to find the small bear sitting in "his" chair. The dispute continues. Until the two crash onto the floor.

"I'm sorry.' 'Me, too."

Their friendship is restored and so the pair head off to play a game. But what about the chair and I hope you have not forgotten the knitted scarf. Some one will have the last laugh!

This is a perfect book for a preschool child. It is funny and it contains a familiar situation.

Sharing, compromising, and get along with others, especially with friends are important skills That’s (Not) Mine can help parents instill in their young children. Even more important is the time spent together reading a great book, seeing yourself in the characters, and laughing-out-loud. I did. Kids Lit Review

You can see author and illustrator Anna Kang and her husband Christopher Weyant talking about their book You are (not) Small winner of the Theodore Geisel award in 2015.

There is a third book in this series:

I love books about chairs. Here are some more to explore.

There's a bear on my chair

Our Big Blue Sofa