Anno's Magic Seeds (Picture Books) (Paperback)

~ (Author) "The wizard handed Jack the 2 golden seeds..." (more)
Key Phrases: marvelous fruits, magic seeds, many seeds

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Anno (Anno's Mysterious Multiplying Jug; Anno's Hat Tricks) offers another worthy addition to his collection of playful stories with mathematical themes. A brief prelude tells of a wizard who gives happy-go-lucky Jack two golden seeds and directs him to eat one and bury the other: "I promise you it will grow and give you 2 more magic seeds in the fall." Jack does as he is told, and the cycle repeats for a number of years, until Jack decides one fall to bury both seeds. As Jack buries more and more seeds each consecutive year, readers are challenged with a series of questions ("How many seeds grew that year?"; "How many seeds did they bury?"). The mathematical gymnastics become even more rigorous as Jack marries, has a child, begins to store some seeds and sell others... until a hurricane wipes out the crops and Jack must begin all over again. Kids on the older end of the targeted age span will have fun with this, and although the arithmetic is well beyond those on the younger end, they'll enjoy Anno's lilting, linear narrative-as well as his soft, appealingly primitive watercolors. Ages 3-7.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From School Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 3?A happy-go-lucky young man and some magic seeds are the familiar elements of this deceptively simple tale. Anno provides the enchantment. An old man gives Jack two golden seeds and a simple formula for becoming self-sufficient. He faithfully follows the directions, eating one of the seeds, which amazingly takes care of his hunger for the year, and planting the other the following spring, which produces two new seeds. He enjoys several years of easy subsistence until he decides to fend for himself one winter and plant both seeds. The next and each successive season begin a geometric progression of harvests?2 sprouts produce 4 seeds (one of which he eats), 3 plants produce 6 seeds, 5 yield 10, etc. In no time at all, he has a bountiful surplus and shares his wealth first with Alice, who becomes his wife, and eventually their son. Even when a hurricane devastates their crops and storehouse, 10 seeds are saved and the family begins anew. Anno illustrates the multilayered story (and its mathematical operations) with his trademark spare, clear watercolors using metallic gold circles to represent the stored seeds and red ones for those that are consumed. Pictorially and conceptually, he explores the fundamental magic of planting and harvesting crops in this celebration of life and its many riches.?Luann Toth, School Library Journal
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4-8
  
• Paperback: 40 pages
• Publisher: Putnam Juvenile (June 21, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0698116186
• ISBN-13: 978-0698116184
• Product Dimensions: 10 x 8.3 x 0.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #293,920 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #11 in	Books > Children's Books > Series > Math & Science > Anno's Math Games
  #11 in	Books > Children's Books > Authors & Illustrators, A-Z > ( A ) > Anno, Mitsumasa

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Creative Math Lesson, April 16, 2000

By	Kathy Goebel (Wichita, KS) - See all my reviews

Anno's books are great for teaching fun math lessons. I readthe book to my sixth graders and had them figure the answers to thequestions as we went. They loved it! They really have to listen carefully, so it makes a great lesson in listening skills as well.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Using Math in the real world, March 30, 2000

By A Customer

Anno's Magic Seeds is yet another book written by Mitsumasa Anno that integrates literature with mathematics. This book is a useful tool for teachers attempting to provide a connection of math in the real world for their students. The story is enchanting and it certainly proved to be a creative way for beginning a math lesson- atleast it was for my 4th graders! I highly recommend this or any of Anno's books to stimulate children's interest in mathematics!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Smart book for smart kids, January 10, 2007

By	Bea Levy (New York, NY) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Deceptively simple in the beginning, this story builds in complexity and excitement from start to finish. It is an intelligent story made exciting through mathematics. Anno's Magic Seeds is a clever introduction to the concept of investing toward the future. As always, the illustrations are lovely.