Going Fishing with Nana by Frances and Lindsay Haji-ali illustrated by Karen Briggs

 

"As the sun rises on brand new day.

It's time to pick up Nana. We're going fishing today."

Publisher blurb: This ... children’s picture book takes readers on an exciting fishing trip with Nana in the far north of Australia. Through repetition and rhyme, readers are introduced to early education concepts such as ordinal numbers, counting by twos, and adjectives, all while seeing many cute and cheeky outback animals along the way.

Thanks to Magabala Books for sending a review copy.

Things I like about this book:

• Map end papers - this really is a mud map because for much of this journey across remote areas of Western Australia I am sure there would be no paved roads - but you could also talk to your students about the real meaning of the term mud map
• You could use the map on the end papers to compare the way we draw maps and also to locate this area on a larger map of Australia
• After talking about the map grab your copy of Are We There yet by Alison Lester or Dirt by Sea by Michael Wagner.
• I'm curious about the dedication to the children of Roper River and Manyallaluk School (perhaps the author worked there)
• Taking this book further than counting one to ten but also including the idea of doubling number gives this book scope for discussion and innovating on the text
• The inclusion of less well-known Australian birds such as jabirus and pink galahs
• It would be good to share this book with a preschool group as a way to practice counting and also introduce doubles

Things I wish the publisher had done differently:

• This book has less visual appeal because with the use of digital illustrations - although the notes say they are created "using acrylic paint on canvas paper" so perhaps it is the high gloss paper that gives the illustrations a digital feel
• I am not a fan of cartoon-style faces and eyes (especially on the frog, snake and children)

If your young reading companion is keen on fishing here are a few other titles to explore. 

Here is the companion book:

Frances Haji-Ali is an educator. She has worked in Catholic schools across the Kimberley and is currently a school principal in Perth. Frances is a non-Indigenous collaborator.

Lindsay Haji-Ali is a descendant of the Yawuru/Karajarri people of the West Kimberley region of Western Australia. He is an accomplished artist and his designs and artworks are held in private and corporate collections.

Karen Briggs is an illustrator, graphic and digital designer, and contemporary First Nations artist. She is a Yorta Yorta woman whose ancestral homeland radiates from the junction of the Goulburn and Murray Rivers in Northeast Victoria. Karen illustrates from her home in the Adelaide Hills and runs her own freelance design business. Her first book was Kick with my Left Foot written by Paul Seden, was published by Allen and Unwin in 2014, and shortlisted for the CBCA Crichton Award in 2015. Long-Listed, CBCA Book of the Year, Early Childhood, 2015. Short-Listed, Speech Pathology Book of The Year Awards - Indigenous Children, 2015.

Just under the clouds by Melissa Sarno

"Then I brush my notebook off and stuff everything in, fishing around for my Tree Book. But it's not there. The worn leather, with its little ribbon tail is missing. I check the front pocket. I check the sleeve inside. I sit down on the wet ground and throw my backpack to it, opening it wide. I take all the withered papers out and stack them. I take each covered textbook and each notebook out. Purple, red, green, blue. I check the front pocket - a jumble of pens and pencils and paperclips, an eraser that feels like it's coated in sand and crumbs. I check the empty sleeve, I fan the colours, in a pinwheel, looking for the soft brown leather. Its gone."

This notebook is everything to Cora. It is her link to her father who died several years ago. Her father was Irish and mum has Mexican heritage. Cora's little sister lost oxygen to her brain during birth and so she has a fairly profound disability. Money is very tight and so the family of three keep having to move. As the story opens, they are living in a homeless shelter, but it is a very dangerous environment. After they are robbed, they move in with mum's friend. Willa seems to have a perfect life and a perfect home and so mum just needs to move again. Cora would love to stay because it is the first place in a long time that she feels safe, but they do move this time into assisted housing. Now school is even further away. 

One thing that connect Cora to her father is the drawing in his notebook of a tree he called The Heaven Tree. Cora finds the tree down by the canal. She is determined to climb it but there are no low branches. The only way seems to be through the window of a disused factory. This will be very dangerous. 

Little Adare loves cats. There is a stray cat that hangs around near the tree and near the canal. On the day Cora loses her dad's tree notebook, little Adare goes missing. Can Cora put all these puzzle pieces back together and find her little sister in time?

This is a debut novel for Melissa Sarno. Kirkus say ages 10-14 so I have listed this as a senior primary novel. Just Under the Clouds was published in 2019 but it is still available. This book will appeal to thoughtful readers who have good reading stamina and who enjoy quiet books about family relationships and children living in complex situations. 

Troubling, affecting, and ultimately uplifting, from a promising debut novelist. Kirkus

There is a delicate balance of things my readers like in a sad book. They like lots of descriptions of what life is like, but they are not as fond of the character's introspection about their situation, if that makes sense. (I spend a large part of my day involved in the nuances of what students want in a book!) This is a little slower than my students usually want, but I will probably purchase it, and this is certainly a great book to look at for most collections. Ms Yingling

Companion books - pop these titles into my sidebar:

And here are some picture books on the topic of homelessness.

This book might be in a library or available as an ebook - it also deals with the heartbreak of a disabled sister.

And this new Australian book has a World War II setting and the story centers on saving the disabled sister from capture.

How many seeds in a pumpkin? by Margaret McNamara illustrated by G Brian Karas

Charlie is the smallest kid in his class. He is always put at the end of the class line because the children are sorted by size. This hurt my heart - I was the smallest kid in my class. Luckily Charlie has a very wise teacher. It is Halloween and Mr Tiffin brings three pumpkins into the classroom. Over several days he asks the class to think about how many seeds each pumpkin might contain. The children guess with all sorts of wild answers and of course they are sure the biggest pumpkin has the most seeds. Then Mr Tiffin cuts a circle in the top of each pumpkin and the kids scoop out the seeds. Overnight Mr Tiffin dries the seeds and the next day the counting begins.

Mr Tiffin is such a skilled teacher the children have no idea he has turned this into a maths lesson. How will they count all those seeds? By twos or groups of five or perhaps groups of ten! I am sure every kid is still convinced the biggest pumpkin will 'win' but of course they are in for a surprise.

That is not the end of this lesson, though. The smallest pumpkin has the most seeds and that was the one counted by Charlie's group. Mr Tiffin knows it is also time to change the way the class line up - now it can be smallest to tallest - I love the smile on Charlie's face.

"Size alone is not the most important thing." Here is the illustration from the beginning of the book.

Bookseller blurb: Mr. Tiffin and his students explore skip counting and estimation in a fun pumpkin-themed classroom experiment! This book makes a wonderful read-aloud companion to any math or science curriculum, and it's a fun way to reinforce counting skills at home. "How many seeds are in a pumpkin?" Mr. Tiffin asks his class as they gather around the big, medium, and small pumpkins on his desk. Robert, the biggest kid, guesses that the largest one has a million seeds; Elinor, sounding like she knows what she's talking about, guesses the medium one has 500 seeds; and Anna, who likes even numbers better than odd ones, guesses that the little one has 22. Charlie, the smallest boy in the class, doesn't have a guess. Counting pumpkin seeds is messy business, but once the slimy job is done, to everyone's surprise, the smallest pumpkin has the most seeds! As Charlie happily exclaims, "Small things have a lot going on inside of them."

In some ways I feel bad sharing books here on my blog that are out of print but on the other hand I do hope they might inspire you to check out your school or local public library. How many seeds in a pumpkin was published in 2007 and so I was surprised to discover it is still available to buy but it is very very, expensive here in Australia. It is a book that is worth hunting out either for Halloween when you might be thinking about pumpkins or just as a terrific book to promote a conversation about maths or more importantly acceptance of difference so check out your library.

You can see a video of the book here.

I picked up this book from a pumpkin library display because I do love art by G Brian Karas. If you also want to talk about the idea of the different ways a class might line up for class, try to find the old Australian junior novel - First at Last by Julia McClelland illustrated by Ann James. 

There are three books in the series by Margaret McNamara and G Brian Karas featuring the wonderful teacher Mr Tiffin:

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:

We Are One by Susan Hood illustrated by Linda Yan

 

Is this a counting book? Not quite. Is this a book about the application of numbers in real life? YES. Is this a quirky book filled with obscure and curious facts about numbers? YES. Is this a book to share with a young child? YES but it is also one you could read to much older children too. So, I suggest you add this fabulous book to your library shopping list today. 

"One can be one thing all on its own - one star, one stream, one stick, one stone. But those on their toes, those using their smarts, know one can be more than the sum of its parts."

Fact - The idea that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts comes from Aristotle. 

Well, that's got you thinking about one but what about two. A sandwich needs two slices of bread and a marriage is between two people. 

Fact - the first recorded sandwich was created in the first century BCE.

Now think about the number three. What would you have put on that page? I am certain you will never guess what Susan Hood has used for this number - a Haiku poem has three lines and the word 'you' has three letters. 

Fact - many stories and poems follow the rule of three - Three Little Pigs, Three Billy Goats and so on. I loved reading the words omen trium perfectum in Latin - trios equal perfection. 

And so this book continues with a double spread for each number right up to ten. The pages are split with a reference to the number at the top of each page - a reference younger children will understand - and a fact section in a much smaller font at the bottom of each page which curious children and adult are sure to enjoy. 

At the back of the book there is a wealth of material to explore. A source list for each number, a list of kids websites, and generous lists of other things relating to each number from ten back to one. 

Before reading this book you could brainstorm with your class all the things you can think of to match each number from one to ten. Then read the book. Then compare your lists with the ones in the book and those provided at the back. Here is the list for my favourite number - three:

Three

• primary colours and three secondary colours
• snowballs on a classic snowman
• teaspoons in a tablespoon
• hands on a clock
• legs on an easel
• three Musketeers
• wheels on a tricycle
• wishes in a genie's lamp
• meals a day - breakfast, lunch and dinner
• kids in a set of triplets
• members of musical trio
• sides of a triangle

We Are One is another amazing book discovery. This book is why I blog books from everywhere - not just here in Australia. I have said this before, but we are so lucky to have access to books from other English speaking countries and of course also access to fabulous, translated books too. We Are One is from the USA published by Candlewick (they always do fabulous books - in the UK and here they are called Walker Books). The author is from Connecticut and the illustrator is from Canada. The library where I spied this book bought it from a city bookstore here in Sydney, Australia.

Immensely satisfying for young lovers of numbers and fascinating for everyone. Kirkus Star review

Counting books become rote after a while. Expected. You begin to yearn to see how someone might shake ‘em up a little. Now what’s so interesting about the latest from Hood & Yan is a very early statement in the text that “the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.” That little nubbin of philosophy drives the rest of the book, and you can practically see little minds expanding as it does. Betsy Bird Fuse8 31 lists in 31 Days, 2021 Math Books

Math meets philosophy, as Hood views numbers, specifically groups of one to ten, through a unique and ­thought-provoking lens: the Aristotelian concept that the whole can be greater — more useful, more remarkable, more valuable — than its ­individual components. … Textured and whimsical, Yan’s digital illustrations feature a young girl dressed as a golden-yellow star who, ultimately, is joined by a diverse “constellation” of other star-children to celebrate the oneness of humanity. Horn Book

If I could recommend one picture book from 2021 to give as a gift, it would be this one. It manages to be both educational and whimsical, beautiful in its writing, illustrations, and concept, with plenty of extras to surprise and delight throughout. Loved it from start to finish.  Cloud Lake Literary Canada

Here is my Maths through Picture Books Pinterest collection. 

Here are the books I have mentioned on this blog by Susan Hood:

Alias Anna

Ada's Violin

The Tooth Mouse

Count the Stars by Raewyn Caisley illustrated by Gabriel Evans

"At school, Maddie like science but mathematics was easily her favourite subject. Miss Tandy put a star on her work every day, sometime two. They looked like kisses."

This book beautifully demonstrated that maths is everywhere. In music, the brick paves dad is laying for the path, counting the canteen lunch money, cooking with mum, and of course in the stars. But one day Maddie realises something is missing in her life - a friend. 

I'm a huge fan of Gabriel Evans art. I have a Pinterest of picture books that explore maths concepts. There is a perfect amount of show don't tell in this book. When Maddie says there are lots of way to tell the time, if you look carefully, you will spy a sundial, a calendar, dad's watch and even an astrolobe.

After you read this book to your class it could be a good plan to focus on one double spread each week or fortnight. Children in my school library were always fascinated by my watch and my ideas about clocks. I like clocks without numbers - not digital clocks - clocks are usually a circle - yes you can work out the time by just looking at the hands. As a child we had a clock in my kitchen made by my dad - it had no numbers just a nail marker for 12, 6, 9 and 3. I even have a Pinterest of watches and clocks!

This could be a fairly dry book filled with maths concepts, but it is not - the addition of warm family scenes, interesting school lessons especially the one where they make paper snowflakes and most of all the making of a friend who also loves maths and the stars and who offers the promise of a happier future for young Maddie.

The end papers could be used as a poster in your classroom - there are twenty-four definitions of maths concepts to explore. 

Companion reads:

Stars and Poppy Seeds

Count on me

How to count to One

A Million Dots by Sven Völker

Yes, this book does contain a million dots - actually the final page has 1,048,576 dots. 

If you have a shelf of maths concept books in your library this is one more title you will want to add. This book could be a great way to share the idea of doubling numbers and ways to represent huge numbers too. It is easy to see the German illustrator Sven Völker is a graphic designer. 

Take a look here to see some terrific ideas for using this book with all ages of children. You can see inside this book here. Here is a video of Sven talking about his book winning the New York Times New York Public Library ten best Illustrated Books. 

I have a Pinterest of Maths concepts through Picture Books. 

You could also look for:

And just for fun you could compare A Million Dots with this book:

How to Count to One

Count on Me by Miguel Tanco

Have you ever thought of using books in pairs? When I read Count on me I immediately thought of this book - Stars and Poppy Seeds:

Both of these books focus on following your passion which in this case is mathematics. The little girl in Count on Me sees other people have their talents and hobbies. Dad is an artist, mum is a scientist focusing on insects, her brother is keen to be a musician. She tries out other subjects but the little girl sees maths references in every part of her world. Maths is her passion. The playground equipment has geometric patterns. The city buildings are made from 3D shapes. Sharing a meal is the perfect place to think about fractions. Miguel Tanco gives his reader information about maths concepts on the final pages. You can read about fractals, polygons, curves, trajectories and sets.

You can see many of the pages from Count on me on the Seven Impossible things before Breakfast blog. Take a look because in this post Jules shows the real world examples used by Miguel. 

Whether math is a passion or not for the children with whom you share this book, readers everywhere will be able to relate to that search for the subject that fires them up. And you can count on this one for just such a story. Kirkus

There are so many wonderful things about Count on Me, written and illustrated by Miguel Tanco: the images, storyline, message…everything! It’s been awhile since I’ve read a picture book that seems to have it all. Teaching Literacy

Miguel Tanco lives in Spain and he is the author of over forty books. You can see some of them here. I have a Pinterest of picture books that explore Maths concepts. Here is a set of teaching ideas for Count on Me by Canadian publisher Tundra Books. Count on Me was originally written in English and then translated into Spanish with the title Conta comigo. 

From a book design point of view this book is quite scrumptious. It is a larger format hard cover book with a limited pallet of cream, red, brown and black. Luckily this book is fairly inexpensive here in Australia.

I have added these books by Miguel Tanco to my "to read" list:

My first book of Patterns by Bobby and June George art by Boyoun Kim

Recently someone posted a question on a forum asking for picture books for an inquisitive three year old. Books with a rich vocabulary. I think this book would be perfect but it will also appeal to older readers - much older readers! When I received this book as a gift I showed it to a twenty-five year old who enjoyed the concept of this book and confessed to not knowing the names of some of the patterns explored in this book. She was intrigued by the beautiful book design and presentation of the concept of pattern.

In forty pages this book explores combination of lines, diamonds, circles, squares, circles and teardrops.  And then reveals patterns with names like stripes, plaid, chevron, harlequin, argyle and paisley. There are three sections to each pattern - the shape, the pattern and then a bright page showing the pattern in action. These pages are sure to lead to some good discussion and lively questions.

Take a look at the book trailer here. This book comes from two Montessori educators. I highly recommend this for children aged 1-3. Take a look at work of the illustrator Boyoun Kim.

Concepts of order, repetition, part and whole, colors, and shapes are all effortlessly introduced and applied. The page turns are perfect and will have little ones excitedly yelling out what patterns the shapes make. The Picture Book Review

Now What? A Math Tale by Robie H Harris illustrated by Chris Catterton

Puppy loves to build and he loves to snooze.  He decides to build a bed for a snooze. How can he assemble the blocks to make a comfortable bed that is just right? He has eleven blocks but they are all different - rectangles, triangles and squares.

Image source Booktopia

I marvel at the inventiveness of book creators. I've been reading children's books for over 40 years and so you might think nothing will surprise me - wrong! This book is so surprising, and amazing, and just fun! This is surely the perfect way to introduce and reinforce simple geometry concepts. This book is begging for interaction. If you plan to read this book with a young child I suggest you gather up the same blocks and work alongside our pup as he experiments and makes so many discoveries about how shapes work. Puppy does not give up on his plan even when things don't quite work. I especially love the way he uses the last two blocks to make the perfect bed.

If you work with preschool children this book should be an essential purchase and I am happy to report that the hardcover edition is available for a low price. Robie Harris has an excellent web site where you can see all of her picture books and read review comments. Take a look at Chris Chatterton's web site too.

Now What? A Math Tale is the second book in a series by Robie H Harris which begins with  Crash Boom.