Illus. in full color. "Drawing on a Chinese form of storytelling with seven shapes cut from a square of paper, Tompert recounts the tale of tw...
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reviews
Nov 08, 2009
Carol
rated it: 
Grades K-5
Illustrated by Robert Andrew Parker
The artwork in the story takes two forms: Parker illustrates each page in an impressionist style with watery colors depicting a grandfather telling his grandaughter a folktale. While each page has a full-sized-illustration, the story-within-a-story is also told using the traditional seven-piece tangram shapes to represent two shape-changing foxes who learn the value of friendship over competition.
The folktale is told within More...
Illustrated by Robert Andrew Parker
The artwork in the story takes two forms: Parker illustrates each page in an impressionist style with watery colors depicting a grandfather telling his grandaughter a folktale. While each page has a full-sized-illustration, the story-within-a-story is also told using the traditional seven-piece tangram shapes to represent two shape-changing foxes who learn the value of friendship over competition.
The folktale is told within More...
Apr 20, 2010
Sharon
rated it: 
In this exceptional story of Grandfather Tang's Story, Grandfather Tang and Little Soo play with tangram puzzles one afternoon. Little Soo inquires if they could tell stories using the tangrams and so Grandfather Tang tells the story of the two foxes. The two foxes often compete since they both have the magic power to change into whichever animal they would like. One day, they misused this power in a game of tag and one of the foxes almost got killed by a hunter....This story is a great example
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Nov 22, 2010
Isabel
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This book is so fun! The story is action packed with messages about games that get out of hand and true friendship. This story is told within another sweet story about a girl and her grandfather. I took the time to make the tangrams with my daughter and it was a lot of fun. It slowed the pace of the story a bit and gave us a chance to fiddle around with geometry. At the conclusion of the book, the author has written a micro-history of tangrams and included some information about Chinese folk
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Jun 23, 2011
Isabel
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I would like to use this book in my classroom to introduce tangrams. The information from the back of the book adds a multiculturaland historical dimension to the lesson while the relationship between grandfather and granddaughter offers an intergenerational link. I would like to follow each transformation in the book with a poster board revealing page by page what is happening. We could then do a small groups activity where the students play with the tangrams and create their own versions of th
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Dec 01, 2011
Gordon
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Grandfather Tang's story is a picture-book with a very heavily influenced Asian feel. Grandfather Tang tells the story of two fox fairies, which incidentally incorporates the use of tangrams. The tangrams are a neat concept and will help spur creativity with children, matching the shapes on the page and potentially making their own creations. The illustrations in this book, though looking somewhat dated, are well done. I would recommend this book to students who like puzzles.
Apr 26, 2010
Lidra
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This is an excellent book when teaching and dealing with shapes and the different shapes and images you can make out of smaller shapes. Within this book a grandfather is tell his granddaughter a story and as the story goes on his animal he creates with the shape continue to change allowing the student to manipulate the shapes given to them to play along with the story. Excellent book for all ages.
May 26, 2011
This is a fun story about two foxes that keep changing into different animals as they try to catch each other. As each animal changes, the story illustrates how to make that animal with tangrams. I can't wait to make my own tangrams (yes, we will eventually purchase a sturdy set) and then have the kids help me make each animal with them as we go. Great shapes/math/folk lesson. =)
Apr 22, 2010
Liliana
rated it:
A folk-tale on tangrams. In this story, Grandfather Tang tells little Soo about a story of two fox fairies. He tells her how they competed against each other, but one day, they had to put their differences aside. One fox helped the other fox from being killed. Great story on the importance of friendship.
Apr 04, 2011
I didnt really like this book, i felt like the illustrations were bland and dull and the story was not engaging. This book could go along with a unit on Tangrams because they are featured in this book. Having children do tangrams along with the book, or make thier own would liven this book up!
Jun 30, 2010
Suzanne
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This is a beautiful tale that introduces students to tangrams. I love reading this story to my students after TAKS testing has been completed. Typically, I extend the activity to allows students to create their own animal tangrams. They LOVE this in-class project.
Apr 26, 2010
Erica
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Use this book when teaching students about geometric shapes. The story is lengthy so it would be best for the older grades. Follow the story as the two foxes compete by changing into different animals before realizing that they need each other to survive.
Apr 26, 2010
Christine
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This is a great book to use for a math lesson on geometry. Students can go along the story with their own tangrams and recreate the shapes of the animals throughout. This book allows for a lot of teacher questioning regarding geometry and math concepts.
Apr 26, 2010
Blakeley
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This was a good story to read during a math lesson on geometric shapes. Students would have to use the manipulative the tangrams in this book. The book gives a picture and students would use the tangrams to make the picture.
Apr 21, 2010
Melissa Nastja
rated it:
This is a great book to share with your students for math. Using tan-grams, the grandfather creates a variety of animals as he tells his story. Students could work in groups and create these animals while listening to the story.
Oct 07, 2008
Maureen
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Little Soo begs Grandfather Tang to tell her a story about fox fairies. So grandfather begins a story about Chou and Wu Ling, two fox fairies who can change themselves into different animals. When danger threatens one of the fox fairies, they put their competition aside in order to save each other.
In addition to the lovely Chinese folktale, the addition of tangram design embedded in the text adds a different curricular dimension to this picture book. This book can be used to introd More...
In addition to the lovely Chinese folktale, the addition of tangram design embedded in the text adds a different curricular dimension to this picture book. This book can be used to introd More...
Apr 26, 2010
Ashley
rated it:
This story is fairly length and it's not my favorite but it is a great way to introduce tangrams to your students. The students can make the shapes the story talks about by using tangrams.
Feb 05, 2012
This is another one of the books I was introduced to at a mathematics workshop in my school district. This book is what made me appreciate tangrams.
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1995
5 October 2009
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1995
5 October 2009
Nov 21, 2011
Grandfather Tang's story is a story told with tangrams puzzles. Children can use their tangrams to create the animals in the story. I would use this book for a tangram math station and have my students create new animals and shapes.
Mar 31, 2011
Katherine
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This is a great book to use to teach shapes to your students! The book involves many tangram diagrams of animals so this story would be a great introduction to a tangram lesson!
Apr 26, 2010
Kristin
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this is a great book to use in math. The teacher can design a lesson using tangrams to create different designs. This book can be used as a very interactive math lesson.
Nov 08, 2011
This book will be a good read for children learning tangrams. It has a lot of pictures, so it could be used on two levels.
Feb 06, 2011
Shannon
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Neat introduction to tangrams. I would have given it three stars,but I added an extra one because my students were so impressed.
Dec 05, 2011
Sherry
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Awesome concept: teach asian cultural tradition of tangrams within a charming asian folk tale about animals.
Apr 26, 2010
Megan
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Not my favorite story but could be useful when teaching shapes.. Kind of long but could use in 3rd or older.
Feb 08, 2012
Gina
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Teaches basic forms and shapes of geometry in a fun way using chinese paper art.
K-4
K-4
May 07, 2010
Allison
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This a great book to use problem solving skills and shapes. The book is long so it might work best to pick and choose which pages to read. Relates well tangrams.
