Cylinders

Children's Literature - Melissa J. Rickey

This is part of the "3-D Shapes" book series designed to support early readers' understanding of mathematical shapes such as cylinders. Simple and direct sentences are matched with brightly colored, full-page photographs to facilitate comprehension and provide clear examples of cubes in children's everyday worlds. An early sentence defines a cylinder, "...a 3-D shape with two circle-shaped bases. The middle of a cylinder is one smooth, curved surface." This is followed by examples of "Cylinders at Home": "Batteries are cylinder-shaped power packs that make toys go"; "Cylinders at Work": "Painters change plain walls into colorful ones with a cylinder called a paint roller"; and "All Sorts of Cylinders" such as "Glowing cylinders on your birthday cake show how old you are. Make a wish!" An "It's a Fact" section lists interesting information about cylinder shapes in your kitchen, in the Scottish caber toss game, and in spools of thread. A "Hands On" feature provides directions for making a cube friend named Cubby. Additional features included a table of contents, clear chapter headings, a glossary, a resource guide, and an index. This book can be used as a read aloud in primary math lessons and can also be read independently by early readers. Reviewer: Melissa J. Rickey