Double the Ducks (MathStart 1) [Paperback]

Stuart J. Murphy (Author), Valeria Petrone (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 3 and up | Grade Level: P and up | Series: MathStart 1

It's hard work, taking care of 5 little ducks. But when each little duck comes home with a friend -- oh, no! Now it's double the ducks and double the work. How can 1 little boy get everything done?

Understanding how to double numbers helps children master both addition and multiplication. Fun, friendship, and lots of ducks make learning this essential skill both easy and entertaining.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

PreS-Gr. 1. Once again the author of the popular MathStart series explains a math concept in a simple, exuberant story with bright, clear pictures. A young cowboy cares for his five little ducks, and he scurries around to bring them three sacks of food and four bundles of hay with his two hands. When each duck brings a friend, the boy has double the ducks, so he needs to double the hay and double the food. For that, he needs double the hands to do the work--so, luckily, a friend joins him. The numbers are on the pages and so are all the things to count. In a double-page spread at the back of the book, Murphy suggests lots of activities and games for parents to use in the kitchen and at play to make preschoolers' first steps into addition and multiplication more fun. Hazel Rochman
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

Stuart J. Murphy is a visual learning specialist. A graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design, he has a strong background in design and art direction. He also has extensive experience in the world of educational publishing. Drawing on all these talents, Stuart J. Murphy brings a unique perspective to the MathStart series. In MathStart books, pictures do more than tell stories; they teach math.

Stuart J. Murphy and his wife, Nancy, live in Boston.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 3 and up
  
• Paperback: 40 pages
• Publisher: HarperCollins (December 24, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0064462498
• ISBN-13: 978-0064462495
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 9.9 x 0.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #48,951 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #35 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > Animals > Birds > Fiction
  • #90 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > Baby-3 > Basic Concepts > Counting
  • #97 in Books > Children's Books > Animals > Birds

More About the Author

Stuart J. Murphy is a visual learning specialist. A graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design, he has a strong background in design and art direction. He also has extensive experience in the world of educational publishing. Drawing on all these talents, Stuart J. Murphy brings a unique perspective to the MathStart series. In MathStart books, pictures do more than tell stories; they teach math. Stuart J. Murphy and his wife, Nancy, live in Evanston, Illinois.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Explains doubling math concept, July 22, 2005

By 

c2 (Dublin, Ohio) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Double the Ducks (MathStart 1) (Paperback)

This is a pretty cute book. At first, the little farmer boy has five ducks for which to care and he describes a typical day that that many ducks require. He explains how much food they need, their bath, and how they go to bed. However, when they all go out for a walk one day, they each bring back a friend, doubling the little farmer's efforts. So, now he needs double the food, double the straw and double the hands and asks for a friend too.

This book does a great job of explaining what happens when you now have twice as many items as you did previously. However, it really isn't very entertaining and my little one doesn't really care to have it read much. It's not as interesting as some of the other Mathstart books, but I would still get it to explain the doubling concept.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very fun to read out loud, March 8, 2010

By 

M. Heiss (USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Double the Ducks (MathStart 1) (Paperback)

My kids are "too big" for picture books -- but we keep these Stuart Murphy books around anyway. They set a great foundation for math concepts, and they are fun to read. Double the ducks is one of my favorites -- it is rhythmic and has adorable illustrations. Great for visual learning, auditory learning, and it really teaches the math concept of doubling. Excellent.

Your library has Murphy's books, I'm sure -- but it's worth it to buy the ones that your family enjoys, since they will continue to like them well beyond the "picture book" stage. Also (sneaky mom trick) you can have your BIG kids read this to littler siblings or cousins or playmates -- then the big kid becomes the teacher and really learns the concept.