November 1, 2012
Grades K-3 Rarely are books about money humorous, but the Math Is CATegorical series is renowned for its method: pairing peppy rhyming verse with silly cartoon illustrations of cats introducing a variety of elementary mathematical concepts. The book starts with a very basic explanation of the purpose of money, incorporating into the pages realistic illustrations of American coins and bills. Making change and equivalencies are also explored at length using kid-friendly examples of purchases such as pizza and pogo sticks. Although not explicitly stated, Cleary's text even alludes to issues of responsible spending and the importance of saving. Mathematical concepts can be daunting for children of all ability levels, but using such concrete examples in a storybook format makes this a spot-on introduction to some very abstract concepts. To be used either as a primary mathematics classroom resource or as a unique storytime offering.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2012, American Library Association.)