Max's Math (Max's Words #4)
by Kate Banks (Author) Boris Kulikov (Illustrator)
Max and his two brothers hop into a car and go looking for problems they can solve. They cruise down highway number 4 on their way to Shapeville, but they see an abandoned number along the way. Is it a 6? Is it a 9? And what's it doing on the side of the road? Once the trio reach Shapeville, there's another problem: a flood washed away all of the squares. Max and his brothers show the town that putting together two triangles will bring their shapes back together, and then they follow the residents on a trip to Count Town, where they put the missing number back in its place in the countdown to a rocket's blastoff.
This title has Common Core connections.
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School Library Journal
K-Gr 2—In the fourth story about Max and his two brothers, numbers and shapes take center stage instead of words. Max builds a car and tells his siblings he's off to look for problems, and soon all three are on their way to adventure. The boys prove to be quite helpful as they assist in rebuilding Shapetown after a storm and in locating the lost numbers required for a Count Town rocket launch. Kulikov's illustrations add much to the story and invite counting and simple problem solving while also demonstrating that shapes can be combined or divided to make other shapes. Max's car is pristine white, creating negative space, thus continuing the math theme, and the mayors of both towns resemble Albert Einstein and reflect the towns' names. Shapes and numbers are hidden throughout the brightly colored illustrations, offering seek-and-find games: on a cow, in the configuration of a road, a clockface. In order to get to sleep after his exciting day, Max counts sheep while lying under his patchwork quilt made up of various shapes. Young children will enjoy the familiar characters and the fact that the youngest of the three brothers is again their leader.—Maryann H. Owen, Children's Literature Specialist, Mt. Pleasant, WI
Copyright 2014 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.Publishers Weekly
Although mathematics is front and center in this follow-up to Max's Words and Max's Castle, the clever wordplay of the previous books remains on display as Max and his brothers set off "looking for problems" to solve. Their journey takes them to Shapeville, where Max shows storm-battered residents how to create a new town square from two triangles. From there, they soar to the stars and back, visit Count Town, and witness a rocket launch before heading home to bed (but not before counting sheep, of course). Kulikov's visual flights of fancy will set readers' imaginations soaring as Banks slyly introduces a bevy of math concepts. Ages 4-8. (Mar.)
Copyright 2015 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.Review quotes
"Max is back in the fourth in his eponymous series of concept books . . . Kulikov's rich, textured paintings are filled with details that extend the story and invite young mathematicians to stop and examine Max's fantastic world . . . Bold. MAXimum fun!" —Kirkus Reviews
"In the fourth story about Max and his two brothers, numbers and shapes take center stage instead of words." —School Library Journal
"Kulikov's visual flights of fancy will set readers' imaginations soaring as Banks slyly introduces a bevy of math concepts." —Publishers Weekly, STARRED
Kate Banks is the author of many acclaimed books for children, including the Boston Globe Horn Book award winner And if the Moon Could Talk. She lives in the South of France with her husband and two sons.
Lauren Castillo is the author and/or illustrator of many books for children, including Alfie Runs Away by Ken Cadow. She lives in Brooklyn, New York. A Frances Foster BookJUV009030 - Juvenile Fiction | Concepts | Counting & Numbers
Numbers, Natural
Shape
Shapes
