FICTION

CRASH! BOOM!: A Math Tale

by Robie H. HARRIS
illus. by Chris Chatterton. 32p. Candlewick. May 2018. Tr $15.99. ISBN 9780763678272.
COPY ISBN
Toddler-PreS—A clever blend of scanned images of wooden unit blocks and a perfectly adorable hand-drawn blue elephant set the stage of this counting and building book. Young readers will instantly be familiar with the elephant's actions; he carefully places four blocks vertically on top of each other until, "WOW! I did it! It's as tall as ME!" The pause of a page turn is enough to build suspense for the inevitable crash that follows. Poor elephant cries but continues to rebuild his tower. Background details such as sunflower yellow walls with trim and a shamrock green rug exude joyfulness. The final page turn reveals some basic math equations: one large rectangle unit block, standing next to two, then four, then eight blocks that all equal the same size when placed next to one another vertically.
VERDICT A simply presented look at block play and the mathematics behind it. Perfect for early learning collections in both public and school libraries.
Reviewed by Lisa Kropp, Lindenhurst Memorial Library, NY , Apr 01, 2018

Be the first reader to comment.

Comment Policy:
  • Be respectful, and do not attack the author, people mentioned in the article, or other commenters. Take on the idea, not the messenger.
  • Don't use obscene, profane, or vulgar language.
  • Stay on point. Comments that stray from the topic at hand may be deleted.
  • Comments may be republished in print, online, or other forms of media.
  • If you see something objectionable, please let us know. Once a comment has been flagged, a staff member will investigate.

RELATED 

BOOKS

A Web of Christmas Love
by Morris, Steppie
BOOKS

The End of Always
by Phillips, Rebecca
BOOKS

La verdad sobre el sofá
by Rubin, Adam
BOOKS

Every Time You Hear That Song
by Voris, Jenna
BOOKS

La maleta de tesoros
by Sylvester, Natalia
BOOKS

This Night Is Ours
by Davis, Ronni
More
ALREADY A SUBSCRIBER?

We are currently offering this content for free. Sign up now to activate your personal profile, where you can save articles for future viewing

ALREADY A SUBSCRIBER?