Greatest Gymnast of All

Zoe zips and zooms around the gym. She's on and off the mats, over and under the bar! She's the greatest—in gymnastics and at demonstrating opposites.

While performing an energetic gymnastic routine, Zoe demonstrates such spatial opposites as on and off, inside and outside, and over and under.

Zoe zips and zooms around the gym. She's on and off the mats, over and under the bar! She's the greatest—in gymnastics and at demonstrating opposites.

Children's Literature

This is a Level 1 book in the "MathStart" series, and the focus is on opposites. Zipping, zooming Zoe is a young gymnast who brags about being "the greatest gymnast of all." She cartwheels on and off the mat, swings up and down, and her jumps are long and short. Zoe is over and under the hoop and she is inside and outside the hoop. She rolls forward and backward and jumps high and low. Just as in a young child's daydream, Zoe is awarded four blue ribbons to pin on her jacket as well as a gold cup. Her triumph is headlined in the newspaper. The illustrations are colorful and appealing and the text is fun to read. There are suggestions for adults and kids in the back of the book. Several involve how to encourage a child while reading the book together and others give ideas for working with math concepts in a playful way.

Stuart J. Murphy is a visual learning specialist. A graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design, he has a strong background in design and art direction. He also has extensive experience in the world of educational publishing. Drawing on all these talents, Stuart J. Murphy brings a unique perspective to the MathStart series. In MathStart books, pictures do more than tell stories; they teach math.

Stuart J. Murphy and his wife, Nancy, live in Boston.