A Million Dots [Hardcover]

Andrew Clements (Author), Mike Reed (Illustrator)

Book Description

It's a long way to

a million, right?

Of course it is.

But do you really know

what a million looks like?

If you'd like to see -- actually see, right now, with your own eyes -- what a million looks like, just open this book.

Be prepared to learn some interesting things along the way.

Like how many shoe boxes it would take to make a stack to Mount Everest.

And be prepared to do some number wondering of your own.

But, most of all, be prepared to be amazed.

Because a million is a LOT of dots.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 1-4–Enormous numbers are often difficult for children to conceptualize, but Clements makes the process enjoyable. The book begins and ends with a single dot. In between, readers not only view the other 999,998, but also pick up some fascinating tidbits of information. Each page features an array of dots arranged in a rectangular shape with an illustration superimposed on top, all set against a warm-hued background. One or two boxed facts help readers visualize particular amounts, and the spreads have arrows pointing out how many dots have been presented so far. The examples bring the concept home while reflecting kids' interests: There are 525,600 minutes from one birthday to the next one or To eat 675,000 Hershey's bars, you would have to eat one bar every two minutes, nonstop, for more than 234 days! Reed's humorous and eye-catching digital artwork adds to the appeal. The phrase It's 238,857 miles from the Earth to the moon is illustrated with a cow in space gear making its famous jump, while the fact that an arctic tern will fly more than 650,000 miles in its lifetime shows a camera-toting bird complete with Panama hat, suitcases, and passport clutched in wing. Pair this imaginative title with David M. Schwartz's classic How Much Is a Million? (HarperCollins, 1985) for a tremendous math lesson.–Grace Oliff, Ann Blanche Smith School, Hillsdale, NJ
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

K-Gr. 3. With one million dots printed on its pages, this large-format picture book shows how big a million really is. Along the way, the text and illustrations offer plenty to look at and think about besides the rows and rows of tiny dots. On each page, Clements selects one number and connects it to a numerical fact--for example, "The sooty tern can fly nonstop for 87,600 hours after it leaves the nest--that's ten years on the wing!" A picture related to the idea is superimposed on the dots, giving the colorful images a distinctive, pixilated look. While the pictures are often well conceived, and the varied how-much, how-far, how-long, how-many factoids are diverting, the gee-whiz quality of the numerical information loses some oomph along the way. Still, teachers will appreciate the visual interpretation of the numerical concept. While this is not a replacement for David Schwartz's How Much Is a Million (1985), it offers an alternate interpretation of the subject. Carolyn Phelan
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 48 pages
• Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers (June 27, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0689858248
• ISBN-13: 978-0689858246
• Product Dimensions: 11.6 x 10.5 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #307,772 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Most of my characters are fairly normal people who are dealing with the basics of everyday life--getting along with others, finding a place in the world, discovering talents, overcoming challenges, trying to have some wholesome fun along the way, and getting into some scrapes and a little mischief now and then, too. I guess I hope my readers will be able to see bits and pieces of themselves in the stories, particularly the novels that take place in and around school. School is a rich setting because schools and education are at the heart of every community. The stories that are set in school seem to resonate with kids, teachers, parents, librarians--readers of all ages. Everyone's life has been touched by school experiences. And I also hope, of course, that kids and others will enjoy reading, enjoy the use of language, enjoy my storytelling.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars a scond grade favorite, January 10, 2007

By 

Maine gardener - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Million Dots (Hardcover)

I bought this book to use in my second grade classroom. The kids love it! They enjoy the artwork and the interesting facts presented on each page. This book is a real winner!

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars How do I love this book? Let me count the ways........, September 3, 2007

By 

J. A. Davis "jadecat" (Northern Michigan) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A Million Dots (Hardcover)

Although I'm not sure I could come up with a MILLION reasons why I like this book so much, here are a few.

1) Kids are FASCINATED with big numbers and the idea of a million dots running throughout the entire book is very appealing. I'm sure there will be some brave souls determined to count them all. (SPOILER: Clements does tell us it would take eleven and a half days to count each dot, one by one. This could be the perfect book for the kids when traveling across the country!)

2) This isn't just page after page of boring ol' dots. Instead, Clements uses them as a background for some nifty self-imposed images, which are quite whimsical and appealing to the eye.

3) Each page keeps a running total of the dots seen so far - how cool is that?

4) Each page also features a random dot number (which could be found on each particular page, if you are so inclined to count) and a fact connected with that number. For example: DOT NUMBER 134,000 - "A person blinks about 134,000 times each week." DOT NUMBER 464,000 - "It would take 464,000 school-lunch cartons of chocolate milk to fill a 20 x 40 ft. swimming pool. (Please pass the straws.)" And my personal favorite....DOT NUMBER 675,000 - "Like chocolate? To eat 675,000 Hershey's bars, you would have to eat one bar every two minutes, nonstop, for more than 234 days!"

5) The colorful illustrations in this book add so much, because without them, well, we're just looking at.......dots.

6) So many great random facts - perfect for impressing all your friends.

7) The millionth dot even gets its own page!

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars one million, July 24, 2006

By 

Thomas A. Hagendorf (Green Bay, WI) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A Million Dots (Hardcover)

Wonderful book for teching children to understand the concept of one million - whether it be people, money, cars, etc. The book arrived promptly and I am more than pleased with the purchase and transaction.