Author: Giganti, Paul, Jr.
Pictures By: Crews, Donald
Recommended Grade Level: 3-4
Common Core Mathematics Standards:
Operations and Algebraic Thinking
• Represent and solve problems involving multiplication and division
• Understand properties of multiplication and the relationship between multiplication and division
• Multiply and divide within 100
• Solve problems involving the four operations, and identify and explain patterns in arithmetic
Summary:
This is an amazing book to transition into teaching Multiplication. The illustrator makes the pictures come to life by showing the numbers through various ways of solving the problem. Each page has a problem that must be solved. The numbers, colorful pictures and grouping provided allows the reader to clearly see the relationship of the numbers and the process that needs to take place. What makes this book such a key factor in demonstrating multiplication is the variety of arrays that are demonstrated with the pictures and grouping. This book makes problem solving come to life. It shows the capability of long addition becoming simplified multiplication. Most importantly it uses realistic everyday situations where children would actually find themselves multiplying rather than adding. The flow of the questioning that comes after the problems presented are detailed and allow the reader to come to a conclusion using the numbers and pictures provided. It goes beyond (2 X 2=4), it brings individuality to the numbers while showing the process step by step.
Rating:
This book will go on the top of my library list. It is an excellent way for those transitioning into multiplication. It is a resourceful tool for visual learners and those who have difficulty computing numbers. This books illustrations and its problem solving creates numerous strategies for the reader to come to a conclusion. They will be able to see how adding many groups of numbers becomes simple multiplication. They will grow to see that addition is no longer needed, because grouping and familiarization of the process of multiplication will be the faster and a more reasonable way to go. It's not to eliminate addition or subtraction but to show multiplication as a friendly reminder numbers are our friends and the sky is the limit with computing numbers. Multiplication just makes it a bit faster especially in problem solving.
Classroom Ideas:
This book will allow me to introduce multiplication in a fun, colorful way. Before reading this book, I would make sure that my students are familiar with the multiplication table and are able to solve common number multiplication problems. Once I have assessed their understanding in the the numbers below 100. I will introduce multiplication through problem solving. It is easy to show a step by step process of multiplication or memorize the table, so this book will show various strategies that can be used in the multiplication process. I will recreate similar problems from the book that I have discussed with my students. I will ask them for ideas in how they use multiplication in their homes, walking to school, in their everyday life. I would use their ideas to come up with new problems to solve and ask them what would be the process to come to a conclusion. I would first want them to work in groups using blocks, units and other math manipulative's to show me the process of multiplication and their choice of grouping when explaining their answer. Once completed, I would review the steps and show our created word multiplication problems on the smart board, with realistic illustrations similar to the book so that they would be able to use the smart board to demonstrate their understanding of the process. There are multiple strategies and arrays that can be created by example of this book. This book opens up many avenues to make multiplication come to life. It's a way to make problem solving connect to their lives. They will eventually see this connection in their lives and multiply without even realizing they have.
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