Pigs at Odds : Fun with Math and Games

ANNOTATION

While trying their luck at various games at the county fair, members of the Pig family find out what the odds are that they will go home as winners. Includes an explanation of odds and probability.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

The Pigs are raring to go to the county fair to play games and win prizes. But no matter how many times Mr. Pig tries to win, the odds seem to be against him. Will his luck ever change, or will the Pigs cry, "Wah wah wah," all the way home?

FROM THE CRITICS

Children's Literature

This math book has great odds of interesting kids in probability. Based on the author's real family adventures, the Pig family tries their luck at carnival games while visiting the county fair. The Pig family seems to try every game at the fair and sometimes they win, but sometimes the odds are not in their favor. The bright illustrations capture the feeling of being at a fair. At the end of the book, there is an explanation about probability and what makes a game fair. The author also includes a small note to parents and teachers that the "Pigs Will Be Pigs" series has been designed around the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics' Thirteen Standards. The books can be used to introduce, reinforce, and review concepts and skills particular to each title. This book is a useful addition to a math literature collection, and is the seventh title in the "Pigs Will Be Pigs" math series. 2000, Simon & Schuster, $14.00. Ages 4 to 9. Reviewer: Lisa Hillstrom

School Library Journal

PreS-Gr 1-A quiet book about the blossoming of a Horse Chestnut tree in the park. Anya and her grandmother observe the many changes in the tree from season to season. As nuts begin to fall, the child plants a few of them in her yard. Average-quality watercolor artwork, displaying various shades of green, shows the girl and her grandmother enjoying the outdoors. The book concludes with a "Did you know?" section that offers bulleted facts and a pictorial rendition of the life cycle of the tree. Below's story will supplement Trish Cooke's The Grandad Tree (Candlewick, 2000), which has a more substantial plot but lacks additional scientific information.-Blair Christolon, Prince William Public Library System, Manassas, VA Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.

Kirkus Reviews

In this seventh picture-book title about math, Mr. and Mrs. Pig take the piglets to the county fair for a muddled introduction to probability. The author, a former elementary-school teacher, explains that she decided that"having the pigs take chances on games would be a fun way to learn about probability." Maybe, but in order to learn about probability, the author would need to spend more time explaining how probability works. She confines her explanations to one page at the end of the book, where she states:"Probability is the chance that something will happen. The probability of you getting a letter in the mail can be anywhere from 0 percent to 100 percent, depending on how many friends you have who write to you!" Actually the probability of getting a letter on any given day is more complicated and hardly random. She states a game is"fair . . . if every player has equal odds, or chances, of winning." Then she has Mr. Pig try to bounce the basketball into a hoop. He gets a basket on the first try, but misses the next eight shots. Mrs. Pig advises,"Dear, I don't think the odds are in your favor." Here it is not a question of odds, but skill. While young children may enjoy the boldly colored illustrations of nattily dressed pigs zipping between rides and games at the fair, they won't learn much about probability, despite the author's motto,"Math + Reading = Fun." (Picture book. 5-8)