review: Piece=Part=Portion

Piece=Part=Portion by Scott Gifford. Photographs by Shmuel Thaler. Tricycle, 2003 (1-58246-102-3); 2008 (9781582462615) $7.95 trade pb

I was first attracted by the clean look and simplicity of this math book, but on further examination found it's also amusingly clever. The idea given in a short introduction is that "in the language of mathematics, fractions, decimals, and percents are three different, but connected, ways of describing the same thing." Fifteen examples of (unrelated) numbers are each expressed as a fraction, decimal and percentage and illustrated by a photograph. The photos are all of quite ordinary things, but find fractions where you might never have thought to see them: 1/5 is one stick of gum left in a package, 1/3 of a traffic light is lit up, 1/10 is two socked feet with one big toe peeping out.

A colorful, uncluttered design potentially makes this book accessible to younger children who enjoy numbers, and it may help children who are learning the concepts reinforce the information. Also, it's just fun to look at. (3-8)

© 2010 Wendy E. Betts

FTC disclaimer: Reviewed from a copy from the public library. This blog is completely independent, but I receive a small percentage if you order books from Powell's via this site.