Bats on Parade (Hardcover)

~ (Author), Melissa Sweet (Illustrator)

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 3A bat band demonstrates the concept of multiplication by marching in formations from 1 majorette to 2 groups of 2 piccolo players to 10 columns of 10 sousaphonists. Lighthearted watercolor illustrations and rhyming text describe each group: Up marched the saxophones,/all 25/sopranos and altos,/they came five by five. Some of them are displayed in clear rows and columns but others appear more randomly massed. At the end of the parade, the bats fly off and the total number of marchers is added up. The book develops a certain sense of excitement and the uniformed bats provide humor, but there is no real story. However, the illustrations do show the dramatic increases that occur when numbers are multiplied and may provide some reinforcement for children familiar with the concept.Adele Greenlee, Bethel College, St. Paul, MN
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Ages 5^-8. Sweet had her hands full illustrating this lively story of a bat parade, which doubles as an introduction to basic multiplication. "Let the good times begin, / the Grand Marshall cried / and a bevy of bats dropped out of the sky." One drum majorette leads the band, followed by "piccolos piping in twos," flautists marching three by three, and so on, until 385 bats are assembled, carefully grouped to show the sum of the products of 1 x 1, 2 x 2, 3 x 3, and on through 10 x 10. The numerical problem is pictured in a separate illustration in the corner of the page. Little ones will enjoy this for the spunky rhyme, and the peppy illustrations will give them opportunities to practice counting; older children can use it to help them visualize what happens during the multiplication process. Stephanie Zvirin

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Product Details

• Reading level: Baby-Preschool
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers; illustrated edition edition (April 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0688156657
• ISBN-13: 978-0688156657
• Product Dimensions: 10.3 x 10.3 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #481,578 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Full of colorful illustrations, this is a wonderful book., May 12, 1999

By A Customer

The Marching Bat Band parades down the Grand Promenade to the tune of "Stars and Stripes." From two times two to ten times ten, the bats demonstrate multiplication. This book has 385 bats strutting their stuff and is a great follow up to Bat Jamboree by the same author and illustrator. Full of colorful, active illustrations with the right number of bats on each page (to help in counting), this is a wonderful book.