  | Full Text Reviews: School Library Journal - 01/01/1999 PreS-Gr 2-This picture book tells a story and reinforces the concept of addition. The lively watercolor illustrations serve both missions well. While on the road, a female truck driver and a dog are passed by many other vehicles loaded with various animals. As their journey advances so do the math problems, going from the simple 3 + 2 = 5 to the final 9 + 0 = 9. However, there is no logical progression in the examples provided; why does 6 + 1 = 7 follow 3 + 2 = 5? The text is told in rhyme, which adds to the sense of movement but it is rather singsong. All of the characters end up at a carousel (made from the drivers' freight) and the final illustrations capture their joy and excitement. The book ends with a two-page spread of suggested activities for kids and adults. The Level 2 designation suggests that this is designed for ages 6 and up but the simplicity of the story and rhyme as well as the juvenile nature of the illustrations would be more appealing to a younger audience.-Edith Ching, St. Albans School, Mt. St. Alban, Washington, DC - Copyright 1999 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission. Booklist - 11/01/1998 From the MathStart series, this story in rhyme lays out five simple addition problems. A truck driver, Jill, watches as a series of trucks--all pulling different animals--pass her by. The math gets worked into the story as Jill adds, for example, the six swans on one truck to the one swan on a second truck (6 1=7 is imbedded in the text). Using this pattern, the reader is able to practice addition while guessing the trucks' final destination. The last line of the story reads Can you find 5 tigers, 7 swans, 8 frogs, 10 horses, and 9 pandas?, and Alley's watercolor shows a giant carousel. Two pages of activities are appended, but an obvious omission is asking children to calculate the total number of animals on the carousel. (Reviewed November 1, 1998) - Copyright 1998 Booklist. Loading...
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