have an understanding of the composition of numbers; for exampl, 7 can be made by combining 1 and 6. This sequence begins with a focus on developing students’ counting skills to work with numbers beyond 10, then continues on to build early place value understanding as students investigate teen numbers. The key understanding of unitising is introduced as students use a group of 10 and some more ones to represent numbers 11 to 19. I tend to agree more with Kristin Harris because I really felt that this book was creative and imaginative especially for a math book. I can remember reading very boring counting books, but this one would have actually kept my attention. I also agree that the illustrations are humorous and colorful. Throughout the book I would catch myself stopping and really taking the pictures in. I think that children would love this book.

Summary: This is a creative book on counting. Sayre uses animals’ legs to teach children to count while also teaching children how many legs different animals have.

Looking for something different

This book was clearly made to teach children to count or add. I thought that the way the authors and illustrator presented the material was very unique and fun. The humorous nature of the story is presented in multiple settings with crabs in a pyramid, crabs in a conga line, and crabs headed to the shore with their inner tubes. While they only have two small eyes and a simple mouth this provides ample expression as one crab is left behind with ten spiders, looking rather uncomfortable.

have used 10 as a group previously, such as participating in tasks that use models such as tens frames.In providing numerous ways to conceive of numbers, the text and the illustrations give the reader critical repetition. “”30 is three crabs…. or ten people and a crab.” Brief Book Summary: This book is entirely about counting, and uses unique and creative ways of showing children how to do so. The book begins by showing the reader that a snail has one foot, so they begin there at one. Then it continues that two is a person because a person has two feet. Three is a person and a snail. Four is a dog because they have four legs. Five is a dog and a snail. Six is an insect. Seven is an insect and a snail. Eight is a spider. Nine is a spider and a snail. Ten is a crab. The book then continues to count by ten’s up to one hundred using various things to count with for instance, “twenty is two crabs”, and “thirty is three crabs or ten people and a crab.” After reading the book explain to students that they (or their pair) will each get to pull a number from the bag and make that number in 2 ways using the counting feet from the story.

The concept of using small skills to create a foundation for larger skills is done effectively in this book, using familiar animals and human attributes to allow the reader to see the math and math tools in any setting. The mathematical focus of the story and the use of everyday items that students recognize can be recreated in the classroom using a variety of tools. Any manipulative from food to marbles can be combined from smaller sets to larger sets, modeling the process within the book.Prior to reading, warm up with some number recognition and partitioning questions. “Play Guess my Number” with the hundreds board by choosing a “mystery number” in your mind and having students ask questions to narrow the search for the mystery number (Does it have a 2 in the ones column? etc.). Reverse the game and give clues that help them narrow the search for another number (for example: My number has an even number in the tens column, or My number is 4 more than tidy number, or My number is made up of a two digits that are the same, etc.)