Math in the Kitchen

School Library Journal

PreS-K-These books contain very basic math concepts to be used with only the most unimaginative of children. In Kitchen a young girl takes two eggs out of a box and must determine how many are left (dozen not mentioned) while making brownies from a mix. Counting the 12 cut brownies at the end (no mention of 3 by 4) is the only other arithmetic in the book. In Playground, children count all the bicycle wheels to reach eight (nothing about two on each of four bikes), the number of empty swings, and the number of bars on the monkey bars. The clear color photos are uninspired but add to the text since the math is not explained. Each book includes a table of contents, four words per glossary ("stir," "playground," etc.), and lists two titles and a Web site for further information. All of this in 24 pages with the vocabulary of a first-grade student's journal entry. It takes only simple math to realize that these books aren't worth the purchase price.-Nancy A. Gifford, Schenectady County Public Library, NY Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.