Math Play for Winter Days

I believe that if you want to learn about something, you need to play around with it. Unfortunately, some folks take math too seriously. I think it was the flashcard drills that killed my math curiosity … a curiosity that was rekindled by a 7th grade teacher who introduced me to geometry and logic games. So today’s books are about math play.

theme: math, measuring, logic

César's Cerulean Surprise (Storytelling Math) 

by Jenny Lacika; illus. by Laura Sandoval Herrera 

32 pages; ages 3-6

‎Charlesbridge, 2025

César is excited. Today is Gabi’s birthday. 

Gabi gets a huge box of crayons as a gift, and César really, really, really wants to use one to color his picture. Just one special crayon. This one? Asks Gabi? That one? Instead of letting her brother grab the crayon he wants from the box, Gabi uses a series of questions to discover which one he wants. 

What I like about this book: Reading this book reminded me of all those games of 20 questions we used to play on road trips. Dad would begin: I’m thinking of something… and we had to figure it out by asking questions that could be answered Yes or No.

In this book, Gabi presents opportunities for her brother to determine whether the crayon he wants (Cerulean) is in the box of glitter colors or in the rainbow of blues she arranges. The math: logic and binary choices – a good beginning for any kid who might want to talk to a computer in its native Binary. The other thing – that I love about all the Storytelling Math books – is the hands-on activity at the back. I also like that this book sprinkles Español throughout the pages.

Measuring Me! 

by Nicola Kent 

32 pages; 4-6

Kane Miller Book Pub, 2024

My body is amazing. 

Why? Because it’s as tall as ten tuna tins. It weighs more than all the laundry in the basket. From the smallest bone to the largest bone to how much energy you generate, this book helps you measure yourself.

What I like about this book: I like that it looks at different ways to measure something. Such as how many eyes, ears, noses and toes you have. It might just have kids stacking cans and using the bathroom scale to make comparisons. 

Beyond the Books:

Play a round or two of 20 Questions. The basic rule of play is that one person thinks of something and other people ask questions that can be answered Yes or No in an effort to narrow down what it is. Check out this post for more.

Take that idea of yes/no and translate it into zeros and ones… this is the basis of binary code. Then use binary code to write your name. Here’s how, from Science Friday.

Find five ways to measure how tall you are. Then measure someone else in your family (pets included!)

Create your own system of measurement! Maybe it would measure distance, or weight, or volume.

We'll be joining Perfect Picture Book Friday when it resumes after the holidays. It’s a wonderful gathering where bloggers share great picture books at Susanna Leonard Hill's website. Review copies provided by the publishers.

Merry Solstice

 Winter Solstice is Sunday morning, December 21. That will be the shortest day of the year - though you won't notice days getting longer until late January. The solstice marks the the first official day of winter - at least in the northern hemisphere. It's the perfect time for baking ... gingerbread people! 

 

Clearly this is not a gingerbread person! And if it were ... I imagine a hungry bird or squirrel would take care of it pretty fast. 

 

What do people hang on outside trees in your neighborhood? 

 

Turn this Book into a Lever!

 Every now and then I come across a book that is more than a book. This one turns into a catapult - at least part of it does! That makes it a perfect gift for young knights-in-training...

 

 Mighty Models: The Legendary Life Story of the Lever 
by Christine Van Zandt; illus by Lesley Breen 
32 pages; ages 4-8
Union Square Kids, 2025

theme: physics, history, hands-on

 

This is a lever. It doesn’t look like much, but it is one of the world’s mightiest machines.

A lever is basically a rigid beam and a fulcrum. From teeter-totters to robotic arms, levers have been used to move things. People have used levers to hunt mammoths, build Great Walls, print books, produce movies – even defend the Crown Jewels of England!  Over the span of ten spreads, this book invites readers to discover the science – and the history – of this simple, yet important machine. 

 

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 What I like about this book: I like the visual table of contents. I also like the fun lever sidebars on each spread. But what I really like is how part of the book is a hands on build-it-yourself catapult model that allows kids to discover the power of a lever in action. 

 

  

I asked Christine if she had constructed the model catapult. "Oh yes!" she said. "The cats love it!"You can watch author Christine Van Zandt demonstrate her model catapult in this video at her website, christinevanzandt.com/models

Beyond the Books:

 
Check out this short video about levers and some simple machines you might use that incorporate levers. 

Make your own lever using a ruler (or similar flat wood piece) and a marker or other item (dowel, block) as a fulcrum. Use your lever to lift a flat stone or can of tuna. What happens when you move the fulcrum closer to the load? Or farther away?

Go lever-looking. How many kinds of levers do you find around your house and yard? Make a list of what you find using words or pictures. One of the levers we have around our house is a T-post puller.

Christine is a member of the STEAM Team Books group. You can find out more about her at her at her website christinevanzandt.com. You can find more about recently released STEM and STEAM at www.steamteambooks.com

We'll be joining Perfect Picture Book Friday after the holidays. It’s a wonderful gathering where bloggers share great picture books at Susanna Leonard Hill's website. Review pdf provided by the author.