Bears Odd, Bears Even (Easy-to-Read, Puffin) [Paperback]

Harriet Ziefert (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 5 and up | Grade Level: K and up | Series: Easy-to-Read, Puffin

An easy-to-read mathematics book teaches the concept of odd and even through an amusing and colorful tale of bears playing a game of basketball. Simultaneous."

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 2. This math book falls short of the mark. The text, which describes brown bears and polar bears engaged in various activities, has a distracting, uneven rhythm due to its constant shift between rhyme and prose. Although some of the rules for odd and even are pointed out (e.g., "Two, four, six, eight, ten?even numbers"), many questions go unanswered, such as "Count the bikes./Count the wheels./Which number is odd?/Which is even?" The illustrations serve the text in simple demonstrations of even and odd (e.g., four polar bears play on a giant number "4"; five brown bears paint on an oversized numeral "5"). However, the pictures do little to illuminate readers' understanding of the tougher concepts such as "Odd plus even?always odd!" These are pictured merely as equations the bears write on a chalkboard (e.g., 5+4=9). Stick with Stuart Murphy and G. Brian Karas's Give Me Half! (HarperCollins, 1996), Stuart Murphy and Lois Ehlert's A Pair of Socks (HarperCollins, 1996), and Pat Hutchins's The Doorbell Rang (Greenwillow, 1986) and wait for a better book that focuses on odd and even.?Gale W. Sherman, Pocatello Public Library, ID
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 5 and up
  
• Paperback: 32 pages
• Publisher: Puffin (August 1, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0140385398
• ISBN-13: 978-0140385397
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.9 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #417,246 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #34 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > Series > Early Reader > Puffin Easy-to-Read

More About the Author

Harriet Ziefert was born in New Jersey. She grew up in North Bergen, New Jersey, where she attended the local schools. She graduated from Smith College, then received a Masters degree in Education from New York University. "About twelve years ago," says Ziefert in a 1995 interview, "I tried to get a job as an editor, but no one would hire me as a trade editor. So I decided to write my own books." Since then, she has written several hundred books, mostly picture books and easy-to-read books. "I write books very quickly," she says, "in about twelve hours. I rewrite them three times over three days, and then they're done." She writes about twenty books a year. Ziefert's picture book A New Coat for Anna is about a girl in a bombed-out European city during the months just after World War II. Anna has outgrown her old coat, and her mother trades her few surviving treasures--a watch, a lamp, a necklace, and a porcelain teapot--in order to obtain wool and have it spun, woven, and finally sewn into a fine red coat for Anna. A Horn Book Magazine reviewer stated, "the simple text, based on a true story, carries the narrative along effectively." The book, which was illustrated by Anita Lobel, was chosen as one of ten books to be read aloud by former First Lady Barbara Bush as part of a program promoting reading. Ziefert was invited to the White House for the occasion. The reason Ziefert began writing easy-to-read books was that she felt "they were getting too hard for kids to read in the first grade." She says that she wrote easy-to-read books with seventy-five or fewer words, even ones with fifty or fewer words, "to see how much of a story" she could produce with that limit. She enjoyed the challenge, and cites her book Sleepy Dog as an example. "Sleepy Dog is the most successful book I've ever done, in terms of number of books sold." She's also been working on a developmental program with publisher Dorling Kindersley, made up of books for babies, toddlers, and preschoolers. Her book Pete's Chicken, which was illustrated by Laura Rader, was reviewed in the New York Times Book Review as "a simple, sweet 'Song of Myself' for children . . . [which] applauds the specialness of every child as it reminds parents of the healing power of just being there for children." Among her other books is a series of easy-to-read books, such as Trip Day and Worm Day, about an inventive science teacher and his rambunctious class of students. Ziefert's book Let's Get a Pet was named an Outstanding Science Trade Book for Children by a joint committee of the National Science Teachers Association and the Children's Book Council. . Ms. Ziefert lives in Maplewood, New Jersey and Lincoln, Massachusetts. She has two adult sons.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Hurray For Bears Odd and Even!, October 7, 2000

By 

Shalimar Rodgers (Tucson, AZ USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Bears Odd, Bears Even (Easy-to-Read, Puffin) (Paperback)

I recently used this book with a 1st grade class to introduce the math concept odd and even numbers. The first grade class enjoyed the book and it also kept them engaged. The book is an easy reader and the kids can follow along without any trouble. I recommend this book with young children who are just learning math and numbers. The book does a great job in keeping the pattern of odd and even numbers clear to the children. This book can also be used with parents that are trying to help their kids with early math.