Customer Reviews

Anno's Hat Tricks

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
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1 star:		(0)

 

 

As a preservice teacher, I used this book to write a lesson plan in mathematics for the elementary school level. This book even boggled my mind at times! Nozaki and Anno use hat "tricks" to develop binary logic and teach children the process of elimination. Kids will definitely feel a great sense of accomplishment as they begin to understand the concepts behind the hatter's tricks. The authors' creative "Shadowchild" character actively involves the reader and challenges him/her to figure out how the hatter is working his magic. This book is great for recreational reading or teaching. Highly recommended for developing critical thinking skills and integrating subjects at home or in school.

As a child I totally adored this book & I still love it now I'm older. The illustrations are charming and clear, and Anno manages to explain some really complicated concepts in a very simple way. The book teaches you how to make logical deductions in a series of fun, easy steps until by the end of the book you can solve really complicated puzzles. It's a real brain workout but fun at the same time - every child should have a copy.

This is an engaging book that teaches basic binary logic. As usual the illustrations are elegant, and the conceptual backbone is sturdy. This is less of a story than it is an invitation to be part of a team of problem solvers. I thought it was ingenious to have one of the characters be called "Shadowchild"--the reader or child to whom the book is read. Shadowchild sees only his shadow and learns how to deduce which hat is placed on his head. Children who love puzzles will find this especially enjoyable. It is also useful for teaching what is called 'theory of mind' and perspective-taking, since solving the puzzles requires the reader to speculate about what the other characters see and think and to reach deductive conclusions on the basis of their responses to questions. My very bright 7 year old wanted to read it several times to approach mastery. He also enjoyed creating a chart to help us keep track of the possibilities for the final tricky puzzle.