Just So Stories

Wombat Books/Rhiza Press

October 2024

SKU: 9781761111693

RRP: $24.99

Without a doubt, having books that illustrate mathematical concepts are a commodity that are always welcome for classroom teachers. I used plenty in the few years of Year 1 classroom before I went to the library, and was always on the lookout for more afterwards, as they were a constant request. So this gem is very obviously a plus for any educator’s bookshelf, but also valuable in general terms on the home bookshelf. R. A. Stephens has put her considerable experience and expertise into this highly amusing but also highly educative book on the mathematical/algebraic concept of ‘like terms’.

Two apples plus three oranges.
Does that make five orples?

NO! It’s still two apples and three oranges.
Join the band of animals for a counting and adding challenge.
But don’t get too mixed up!

Some concepts can be tricky for Smalls to grasp and counting is relatively simple but when they are beginning to manipulate numbers and we start to teach addition, they often want to add disparate objects. I have always had the fallback as a teacher-librarian of ‘there’s a book for that!’ and in this case, it’s absolutely 100% true!

It’s been out for a while now [you can probably tell how mountainous my stacks of review PBs are! but when I do a cull there are some that are just not going anywhere until I have reviewed them!] and you may well already have it but do show-and-tell it to your staff – not just those who teach the Smalls either.

Those bigger kiddos who are starting to grasp algebra can also use the refresher, especially in such a light-hearted way. The use of nonsense words was a really clever ploy and kids will respond so well to it, and have a load of fun making up more of their own crazy combinations. It definitely gets a big 5 ➕➕➕➕➕ rating from this math dunce!