Math Riddles (Easy-to-Read,Viking) [Hardcover]

Harriet Ziefert (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 7 and up | Series: Easy-to-Read,Viking

A collection of riddles which introduce basic math concepts and numbers.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 2-4?Ziefert provides a combination of logic, word play, and humor to introduce basic concepts. Short, easy-to-read sentences are accompanied by visual clues in the form of colorful cartoons. The funny riddles are just right for reading aloud or for sharing with a friend. Teachers might find them useful as a math lesson warm-up, or for filling in "wait time" between activities. Whole language classrooms will find this series entry a good way to integrate math and reading.?Eunice Weech, M. L. King Elementary School, Urbana, IL
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Gr. 1^-3. Riddles and easy readers make an excellent team, because no one has greater appreciation for a funny riddle than the six-or seven-year-old child. Old favorites are here: "Which weighs more--a pound of lead or a pound of feathers?" Ziefert also includes some that may even get a chuckle from a grown-up: "If there were 9 cats in a boat and 1 jumped out, how many would be left? None. They're copycats!" The illustrations are comical if rather muddy; it's the brief text and enticing subject that make this a great choice for balky readers who have a hard time finishing a book. Susan Dove Lempke

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 7 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Viking Juvenile (August 1, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0670874981
• ISBN-13: 978-0670874989
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.2 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,773,230 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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 American Math, June 19, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Math Riddles (Easy-to-Read, Puffin) (Paperback)

Remember the old gags like "which weighs more-a pound of X or a pound of Y?" Well, there are lots of those kind of riddles in this book. The publisher recommends this book for kids aged 6-9 and I would be reluctant to recommend it for younger readers as kids need a basic understanding of money, weights, measurements.... Of course you may regret buying this book because you know what kids are like with jokes--you could be hearing the same ones over and over and over...

4.0 out of 5 stars For Beginning Readers with more advanced math skills, December 29, 2009

By 

R. Miller (Texas) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Math Riddles (Easy-to-Read, Puffin) (Paperback)

"Why is it dangerous to do math in the jungle?"
"If you add 4 and 4, you get 8 (ate)."
Large print and simple sentences make this perfect for beginning readers who are advancing their math and logic skills. Some questions require math skills, others attention to detail, and some are just for fun.
Answers are right on the page (occasionally immediately beneath the question), so this may be frustrating to accomplished readers who would actually like a moment to try to guess the answer for themselves.
As other reviewer noted, be ready to hear some of the jokes ad naseum!