Coyotes All Around (Mathstart Series) ANNOTATION
A pack of coyotes tries to determine how many roadrunners and other creatures are in their vicinity, and while some count different groups and add their totals together, Clever Coyote rounds off and estimates.
FROM THE PUBLISHER
Clever Coyote thinks it's time for lunch -- and also time to show her friends how, with some simple rounding, she can add up numbers in her head. If only she were as good at hunting as she is at math!
FROM THE CRITICS
Children's Literature - Sally Niezgoda
Clever Coyote and his four friends Careful, Cool, Clumsy, and Little One are counting various critters that they would like to eat for lunch in the desert. Careful, Cool, Clumsy, and Little One individually count some of the tasty treats and, then, add their numbers together to determine the sum of the tidbits available. Clever Coyote impresses his friends by mentally rounding each of their answers to the nearest ten, then, adding the rounded numbers to get a close approximation of the total. They appear to be so busy counting and adding that they never catch any of their prey. This humorous book, with the included suggestions in the back, could be used in the classroom to reinforce the concept of rounding numbers. The colorful illustrations of desert creatures are very well done. Facts about some of the desert inhabitants are scattered throughout the book. This is part of the "MathStart" series. 2003, Harper Collins Publishers, Ages 6 to 12.
Library Journal
Gr 1-3-Taking a fun approach to math, this book introduces the concept of rounding to estimate the sum of several numbers. A group of coyotes stands in front of a desert ranch and wonders how many roadrunners live in the area. They split up, and each one counts the ones that he or she sees. When they are ready to add their numbers, Clever Coyote rounds each figure to the nearest 10, adds them together, and quickly comes up with a close approximation of the actual total. The procedure is repeated with lizards and grasshoppers. Humorous watercolor cartoons depict the action and clarify the concept. Charts help to illustrate how each number is rounded. Factoids about coyotes and other desert creatures appear throughout, so readers learn not only math, but also get their fair share of science sprinkled into the mix. A section entitled "Adults and Kids" includes math games, book suggestions, and ideas for turning grocery shopping into an estimating experience.-Sandra Kitain, Abrams Hebrew Academy, Yardley, PA Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.
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