The Grapes Of Math [Hardcover]

Gregory Tang (Author), Harry Briggs (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 7 and up | Grade Level: 2 and up

This innovative and delightful book challenges children -- and parents -- to open their minds and solve problems in new and unexpected ways. By looking for patterns, symmetries, and familiar number combinations displayed within eye-catching pictures, math will become easier and quicker -- and much more fun -- than anyone could have ever imagined!

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

How is it possible to count a complicated pattern of strawberry seeds or grapes on a vine or camel humps--in a blink of an eye? If children can open their minds to new ways of perceiving math, anything is possible! Greg Tang shows readers creative ways to use patterns and combinations of numbers to solve math puzzles quickly and effectively. Rather than laboriously counting 24 mushroom slices on a pizza, Tang suggests: "Let me give you some advice, / Just do half and count twice." And in adding the number of dots on a fan: "Instead of seeing groups of threes, / Count by fives and it's a breeze!"

Every two-page spread features cheerful computer-generated art by Harry Briggs, depicting rows of camels, beaches full of seashells, and vines laden with grapes. Tang's witty little accompanying verses tickle the fancy even as they challenge the mind. Guided by hints in the verses, readers find solutions to each math riddle, by looking "askew" to find a pattern, subtracting in order to add, or adding numbers that have easy sums before clustering them to add in groups. Solutions and explanations are provided in the back of the book. With a little creativity and common sense, as opposed to formulas and memorization, Tang believes that all kids can do well in math--and have fun while they're at it. Readers of The Grapes of Math are already ahead of the game. (Ages 6 to 10) --Emilie Coulter

From Publishers Weekly

This clever collection of puzzles could spark the interest of even the mathematically challenged. The first-time collaborators serve up 16 math riddles, and team brisk verses ("Mama mia, pizza pie,/ How many mushrooms do you spy?") with bright computer-generated illustrations to teach problem-solving tricks and strategies. Each riddle offers a clue that nudges readers to look at the problem creatively the aforementioned "Large Pizza to Go!," for instance, hints, "Please don't count them, it's too slow,/ This hot pie was made to go!/ Let me give you some advice,/ Just do half and count it twice," while another riddle suggests, "Instead of seeing groups of threes,/ Count by fives and it's a breeze!" The simple, staccato rhymes and crisp lines of the artwork keep attention focused, while those who find themselves stumped can consult the "Answers" section at the back of the book, which offers an explanation of each problem and shows how to group objects together and look for patterns in order to speed up the calculation process. Whether counting fish, scallops, camel humps or ants at a picnic, this duo's enthusiasm for their subject matter is contagious. Ages 7-10. (Feb.)
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 7 and up
  
• Hardcover: 40 pages
• Publisher: Scholastic Press (February 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 043921033X
• ISBN-13: 978-0439210331
• Product Dimensions: 10.3 x 9.4 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (34 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #222,894 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Greg Tang earned his B.A. and M.A. degrees in economics from Harvard University and an M.A. in math education from New York University. Greg Tang has taught students of all ages, from kindergarten to college, and has used his problem-solving methods to create successful products and companies across many industries. He lives in Belmont, Massachusetts, with his three children. Greg's web address is www.gregtang.com.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

56 of 58 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Quick Counts Build Confidence and Interest in Arithmetic!, April 11, 2001

By 

Donald Mitchell "Jesus Loves You!" (Thanks for Providing My Reviews over 109,000 Helpful Votes Globally) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 100 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: The Grapes Of Math (Hardcover)

Greg Tang has put together a series of counting riddles which challenge you to find short cuts to a faster answer. Each problem provides the introduction to a new challenge. The riddles are written in verse and encourage you to develop your skills in patern recognition, grouping, and multi-step thinking. The book will be as much fun for parents as for youngsters, and can provide the basis for spotting interesting problems in the world around you. Clever rhymes, hints, and colorful illustrations combine to provide plenty of visual and mental stimulation. The riddles focus on natural objects like animals, insects, plants, and fruit to increase awareness of the patterns occuring around us.

The riddles have fun names (like Fish School, Grapes of Math, Win-Doze, and For the Birds). My favorite riddles were Ant Attack and It's a Jungle Out There.

The left hand page contains a colorful computer illustration provided by Harry Briggs. These are large and appropriately ambiguous to hide the patterns a little. Color and shape are especially used well to complicate the counting problem. On the right hand page is a riddle, containing a clue at the end. "To help you find the right amount/Group by fives before you count" is one such clue. At the back of the book are the solutions to each riddle.

Pattern recognition riddles help you to see squares and rectangles within more complex designs. You are also encouraged to see diamonds as being squares rotated by 45 degrees. Many times a pattern is repeated, and that becomes the basis of multiplication.

Grouping encourages you to add common sums. An example would be sets of (8 + 3) + (6 + 5) + (4 + 7) = 33. By seeing that you can add to common subnumbers, you quickly find three elevens and then multiply by 3 in your head.

The two-step riddles have you determine what the total universe is (usually by multiplying) and then subtracting the exceptions to get the subset. One example has a building with regular intervals of windows, some lit and some not. How many are lit?

Most people never get to do the fun part of math, which is thinking up new and better ways to do things that build on imagination. By allowing your child to see the potential playfulness of what mathematicians do, this book will help create a better sense of what math is all about and that it can be fun.

After you have had a good time with the book, I suggest that you and your child create new puzzles for each other.

Build new knowledge from repeated patterns, wherever you find them!

42 of 43 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Many ways for teachers to implement this great book!, August 31, 2001

By 

Anne Hunter, elementary school teacher (Great Falls, VA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Grapes Of Math (Hardcover)

The Grapes of Math targets elementary students around the ages of 8-12, yet can be used in a simpler way with even younger children as an introduction to counting. There are sixteen colorful counting problems in the book, which are accompanied by a poem that provides a hint at counting the objects using a different method. Children are instructed not to count individual objects in the regular manner - "1...2...3..." - but rather to open their minds to new ways of perceiving the problems. Readers are encouraged to use creative methods, such as finding patterns, grouping, and using advanced problem-solving skills. These strategies direct students to solve a problem faster and more efficiently, and greatly incorporate the use of addition, subtraction and multiplication.

A teacher could use The Grapes of Math in many ways. One could post a problem each day, or week, on the board for children to solve at the beginning of a math lesson, to get students thinking mathematically, and on a higher level. Instructors could also break a class into pairs or small groups and photocopy the sixteen different problems, passing out a different problem to each pair/group. The children could have an allotted amount of time in which to come up with creative ways to count the objects on the page. After the pair/group has found several ways, they could vote on the most efficient method. Then the students could take turns sharing their solutions with the class. Furthermore, a teacher could share the book with his/her class, taking suggestions for the various problems and solving as a whole-class group. As a follow-up activity, children could design their own "counting problems," making colorful pictures with accompanying poetry to give their readers hints - such as the layout of The Grapes of Math. Then the children could trade with a partner and solve their partners' work.

I would highly recommend The Grapes of Math to future teachers. There are so many ways to implement this book, and it helps children who are learning multiplication a great deal. I enjoy the pictures, the poems, the creative solutions, and the challenges! I whole-heartedly rate this 5 STARS!

33 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Grapes of Math, May 26, 2003

By 

Jay - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Grapes Of Math (Hardcover)

This book is a collection of 16 illustrated poems. In the back are the complete solutions. Most of the riddles deal with the repeated addition style of multiplication, but with a twist. In an array of five rows and five columns, there may be three missing. So, in order to find the total of 22 quickly, the student is guided to multiply five times five and then subtract the three missing ones.

The rhymes are catchy with the question in a different color font to help students when learning to decipher word problems. There is also a tip to the mental math solution following the question. The goal of this book is assisting students in learning to manipulate groups of objects in their mind.

I would suggest using a few poems as examples with real manipulatives and demonstrating to students how and why the solution can be found mentally. Read the solution along with them and physically move objects to show how they can multiply and then add or subtract, or even regroup objects. When students begin to catch on, invite them to try some more from the book, and write out the solutions before checking their answers. Advanced students may even want to create their own puzzles and illustrations. As an extra challenge, they can write the poems to go along with it. All of Tang's poems are written in couplets and this has the potential for being a good integration with language arts.

Why 5 stars?:
Tang has crafted a wonderful set of thinking exercises for students to explore mathematical properties through the use of patterns. By practicing with these poems, hopefully they will change the way in which they "see" difficult problems and be able to visualize in a way that makes sense to them.