School Library Journal Review
K Up From extremely simple ``what is different?'' pictures, Anno quickly builds in complexity to tables, mapping, bar graphs, and visual presentations of proportions. It is not clear what the intended audience for this attractive book is. The bright, intriguing pictures and easy beginning will entice preschoolers, but even with an adult's help, few of them could make it all the way through this book. Most third graders could read the directions for themselves, but are likely to find some parts too easy, others too hard to tackle alone, and the ``Few Notes for Parents, Teachers, and Other Older Readers'' is disappointingly full of philosophy and chary of ``right'' answers. Perhaps teachers could best use Anno's Math Games to supplement math texts. The section on measuring and proportions is especially valuable. Unlike most math games and puzzles, these are not concerned with numbers at all. Instead of numbers, Anno uses pictures; instead of equations, he works toward an intuitive feeling for what sort of answers are required. Margaret Chatham, formerly at Smithtown Lib . , N.Y. (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
By reinventing the wheel, the author of Anno's Counting House, Anno's Mysterious Multiplying Jar and the recent Socrates and the Three Little Pigs brings to math an intuitive understanding of numbers, sequence and order, which he passes on to readers. He starts with the concept of comparison and difference: in a row of blue squares, a red circle sticks outit's different. He then introduces the idea of proximity: he shows a cat and a mouse, stuck together back to back; and that new things are created by combining two or more disparate objects (including ideas and language), as in putting wheels or handles on things. Then he discusses the meaning of ordered sequence, hierarchy and orientation as in a deck of cards. However, unlike Humpty Dumpty, what one takes apart can be put back together again. Anno emphasizes the importance of knowing one's place in the order of things by talking about the Cartesian coordinate system that locates and places things. Once again, Anno proves that thinking need not be abstract and dry, and math is more than mere measuring sticks. Ages 3-8. (October) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
