How High Can a Dinosaur Count?: ...and Other Math Mysteries [Hardcover]

Valorie Fisher (Author, Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 5 and up | Grade Level: K and up

Believe it or not, once Bessie balanced a tower of 8 beets. But today, when she tries to balance 8 beets . . . 3 fall. How many beets does Bessie balance today?
A clever text and imaginative art mesh to create playful, simple math problems right on target for ages 6—99 . . . anyone who loves the magic of numbers! Budding young mathematicians can help Heloise add her dimes, nickels, and pennies to see which hat in Madame Millie’s Hat Shop she can buy. Or they can tell time with Lulu at the Tutti-Frutti Zoo, where Lollipop Licking begins at 9:00 sharp.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Starred Review. Grade 1-4–Anyone who thinks that a math-activity book cant be fun hasnt seen this one. The text for each of the 15 problems is presented on the left, using a large, clean font on a spectrum of soft pastel backgrounds. The problems are clearly explained, but lots of alliteration and some unexpected vocabulary make for interesting reading. The illustration on the right features Fishers unique photographic technique. Richly textured patterns and hand-drawn objects are cut out and arranged, then photographed in such a way as to create whimsical tableaux with a three-dimensional feel. The characters are charming, from Ogden the orderly man who lives in a watering can that he keeps spick and span, to Daphne, the sweet blue dragon who dines on daisies. At the back of the book, Fisher presents four more problems for each illustration, with solutions provided for all. Appropriate for group discussions and attractive to browsers, this creative combination of text and art is a first purchase for most collections.–Grace Oliff, Ann Blanche Smith School, Hillsdale, NJ
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

Gr. 1-3. Based on the jacket illustration of a green dinosaur, many kids will be surprised that this book is neither about dinosaurs nor a traditional story. Instead, the dino--like every other character featured here--appears in one of the book's 15 "math mysteries." Each confidence-boosting number puzzle combines a brief vignette and question with a full-page illustration containing additional information and visual hints. Fisher, illustrator of Nonsense! (2004) and other titles, concocts age-appropriate problems, typically involving money, subtraction, or number identification ("[Dexter has] spotted every odd number from 1 to 20. Can you find them too?"), then extends each scenario with new questions collected at book's end. The mixed-media dioramas occasionally appear cluttered, and some children may wonder about the relevance of solving money-related problems that are so patently out-of-date (a handbag for 80 cents? Kate Spade would laugh). Still, the value of concrete math problems with a visual component is manifold, and this certainly deserves a place alongside Jon Scieszka's Math Curse (1995) and books by Stewart Murphy and Greg Tang. Jennifer Mattson
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 5 and up
  
• Hardcover: 40 pages
• Publisher: Schwartz & Wade (February 14, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 037583608X
• ISBN-13: 978-0375836084
• Product Dimensions: 10.3 x 0.4 x 10.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,222,457 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Valorie Fisher is the creator of Everything I Need To Know Before I Turn Five, When Ruby Tried to Grow Candy, How High Can a Dinosaur Count?, Ellsworth's Extraordinary Electric Ears and My Big Brother and My Big Sister (both Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Platinum Award winners). She is the illustrator of The Fantastic 5 &10¢ Store by J. Patrick Lewis and the Moxy Maxwell series of books by Peggy Gifford.

Praise for Valorie Fisher's books:

"a great mix of elegance and goofiness" and "guaranteed fun" wrote School Library Journal in two starred reviews

"sassy" starred review Publisher's Weekly

"oozes with fun" Booklist

"gives her tableaux a sugared quality; you feel vaguely that you ought to be able to pluck the objects off the page and eat them." Wall Street Journal


For more of her "elegance and goofiness" visit http://blog.valoriefisher.com/

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars two plus three stars, May 19, 2006

By 

booklover "babs" (New York City) - See all my reviews

This review is from: How High Can a Dinosaur Count?: ...and Other Math Mysteries (Library Binding)

The silliness of math problems is the starting point for a book that is lovely to look at and puzzling in the best sense of the world. As we have come to expect Valorie Fisher makes a world we can walk around in --- a world where Lewis Carroll and Edward Lear would feel right at home. Educational without ever being stuffy. Kids gobble it up. Why aren't there more math books like this?

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Math that they'll WANT to do, March 3, 2006

By 

Father of 2 (United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: How High Can a Dinosaur Count?: ...and Other Math Mysteries (Library Binding)

I bought this because my children love Fisher's other books, especially, "Ellsworth's Extraordinary Electric Ears, ...", which they had at their school. "How High Can a Dinosaur Count?", is the best yet.

The math is playful, but practical enough that the kids can use it. The reader has to add up her nickels and dimes to answer the question, "Can Heloise buy a hat?" Or do some subtraction to determine, "How many daisies does Daphne eat for dinner?" All of the answers, plus 60 additional "Math Mysteries" are in the back of the book.

As always, Fisher's illustrations are captivating. She creates a world that you'll want to visit. They are classic, yet quirky and wonderfully colorful, with surprising depth (how does she do this?). But be warned, Madame Millie's Millinery has inspired my wife to paint our chest of drawers!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Math... Fun... and challenges... I am a Book Loons reviewer..., February 11, 2006

By 

J. a Locke "Book Hugger" (United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: How High Can a Dinosaur Count?: ...and Other Math Mysteries (Hardcover)

As the lapel of the book jacket reads, "How much fun can math be? Open this book and find out!" Author Valorie Fisher combines the 'love of the magic of numbers' with fifteen stories and math problems to solve. The stars of 'How High Can A Dinosaur Count?' include Heloise, Lulu from the Tutti-Frutti Zoo, Felix, Flo, and Fifi, and their flapjacks.

All math exercises are placed within a brief scenario, with the author's superb artwork reflected in vivid, deep colors. A few 'math problems' are depicted as such -- "Prunella pines for the pink polka-dotted purse in the window of Hattie's Handbags. Each of the purses she is holding contains 25 cents. Does Prunella have enough to purchase the pink polka-dotted purse?" In the meantime, Dinosaur Dexter waits for his train, "... He begins to notice numbers and has soon spotted very odd number from 1 to 20. Can you find them, too?"

Fisher's book can be enjoyed by all ages -- 5 to 99. More formulas to solve are at book end, and if you get stuck for the answer, a secret... never fear, the answers can be found at the back of the book.

Other recommendations
by Valorie Fisher: 'Nonsense!''Ellsworth's Extraordinary Ears: And Other Amazing Alphabet Anecdotes''My Big Brother' 'My Big Sister'