If You Were an Odd Number

Marcie Aboff gives a thorough and understandable description of a fundamental mathematical concept, the odd number, in this colorful book. She succeeds at presenting concise definitions without the jargon, which can often be wordy and confusing for children. Her examples are lively and come straight from the context of a child’s life, such as baseball players in a starting lineup and days of the week. Dillard’s illustrations are bright and charming. Even so, at times they could do more to support the concept. One example is “… you could be a traffic sign…” which seeks to emphasize the odd number of sides on common signs. However, the sides of the signs do not stand out visually and are not numbered, and since there are two (even number) signs, one of which has two (even number) fish on it, a young student may be confused without guidance and emphasis on the text. Still, the classroom exercises included at the end of the book are strong and introduce children to the odd numbers in their own lives. Overall, the book is a fun way to talk about a traditionally stodgy subject. The book is part of the “Math Fun” series, and a glossary, an index, and additional resources are included at the end of the book. This book would make a good addition to any elementary classroom. Reviewer: Carolyn Briles