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Reviewed by Amy M. O’Quinn for the National Writing for Children Center
Title: What’s New At the Zoo?
Author: Suzanne Slade
Illustrator: Joan Waites
Reading Level: Ages 4-8
Hardcover: 32 pages
Publisher: Sylvan Dell Publishing (June 10, 2009)
ISBN-10: 1607180383
ISBN-13: 978-1607180418
Want an easy way to introduce or reinforce basic addition while also getting a nature lesson to boot? Then check out Suzanne Slade’s fantastic book, What’s New At the Zoo?, one of Sylvan Dell’s Fall 2009 titles, for an educational, yet entertaining, resource.
What’s New At the Zoo? has the subtitle “An Animal Adding Adventure,” and young readers will indeed enjoy learning basic addition as they combine sets of different sets of zoo animals for a total sum on each full-color, two-page spread. They’ll also discover what the babies of various animals are called, what they eat, and about some of their activities.
The colorful illustrations and fun rhyming verses mesh together to create a first rate picture book—one that will have children eagerly turning pages. And at the end of the book, readers will be able to count the total number of animals featured at the zoo.
Sylvan Dell does an outstanding job of producing books that combine math and science concepts with an interesting story to carry the action or simply provide the background for the lessons that are taught or introduced. What’s New At The Zoo? is no exception.
And as always, the ‘For Creative Minds’ section at the back of the book provides extra activities and/or information. In fact, this particular book includes two methods of teaching addition, a section on using fact families, and an animal matching activity. But there are tons more resources and even ebook versions on the Sylvan Dell website at SylvanDellPublishing.com for this book and many more.
About the Author: Suzanne Slade is the author of more than sixty books for children, both fiction and non-fiction. One of her favorite parts of the writing process is researching and learning about new topics. Ms. Slade lives near Chicago with her husband, Mike, two children. You can visit her website at suzanneslade.com.
About the Illustrator: Joan Waites, a former neo-natal intensive care nurse, has been a freelance illustrator for over eighteen years. In addition to What’s New at the Zoo? Joan has illustrated nearly 40 books for the educational and trade marketplace. She is also an adjunct faculty member of The Corcoran Museum School of Art and Design in Washington, DC. Her website is joanwaites.com.
Visit Amy O’Quinn at amyoquinn.com or homeschoolblogger.com/picketfencemom.
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