Discovering Shapes

School Library Journal

Gr 2-4A series of books using games, puzzles, and crafts to introduce shapes. All three titles clearly present the concepts involved and amplify the text with colorful cartoonlike drawings that feature multiethnic children. The most successful of the three is Circles because the crafts and activities are varied. The least successful is Three-Dimensional Shapes, which features activities that are very similar and mostly involve constructing squares and pyramids out of paper. Although the projects are based on mathematical concepts, the authors don't give much of a mathematical context, so these books will appeal to browsers and puzzle lovers rather than researchers. Not necessary purchases, but interesting and different glances at concepts children use every day.JoAnn Rees, Sunnyvale Public Library, CA