Theres a Map on My Lap! All About Maps by Rabe, Tish [Random,2002]

The Cat in the Hat's Learning Library

by Tish Rabe

Theres a Map on My Lap! All About Maps by Rabe, Tish. Published by Random,2002, Hardcover

Genres: Geography, Picture Books, Childrens, Maps, Nonfiction, Science, 1st Grade

Unknown Binding

First published January 1, 2002

About the author

Tish Rabe is the bestselling author of over 170 books for Sesame Street, Disney, Dr. Seuss, and many more. She is Founder and Content Creator of Tish Rabe Books, LLC, an independent publishing company that partners with nonprofits and businesses to create books that make a positive difference in the lives of children, parents, teachers, and caregivers worldwide.

"Sweet Dreams Ahead Time for Bed" is a gentle, rhyming storybook written in partnership with Pajama Program, a national nonprofit that promotes healthy sleep routines and gives pajamas and books to children facing adversity.

"Days Can Be Sunny for Bunnies and Money", helps children learn how to manage money. It was produced with Clarity 2 Prosperity, a business development company for financial advisors. To learn more, visit tishrabe.com.

Reviews

[Julianne · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is AMAZING! I plan to create a whole mini unit on maps & globes from it. Perfect for grades 3-5. Addresses, cartographer/cartography, longitude, latitude, map scale, plans, cardinal directions, atlases, map legends/keys, symbols, types of maps/charts, navigation, measuring distance using map key & grid lines. And all in the delightful rhyming/entertainment of Seuss. PERFECT!!!

Totally address NGSS 4-ESS2-2. Analyze and interpret data from maps to describe patterns of Earth’s features. [Clarification Statement: Maps can include topographic maps of Earth’s land and ocean floor, as well as maps of the locations of mountains, continental boundaries, volcanoes, and earthquakes.]

[Hirdesh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nice rhyme of map,
You should need on your lap.

[DivaDiane SM · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is quite a bit above my son's level, but he loves maps and the Cat in the Hat, so when he picked it out, I thought, "Why not?". It's good, with lots to look at and learn. Some of the images are very busy and therefore hard to parse, especially for a 4 year old who's never seen some of the things described before. He loved interacting with the book. Since we'll read it hundreds if times before returning it to the library, he might actually learn some of this stuff! I wish it weren't so USA centric, because we are an international family.

[Steve Holden · Rating 3 out of 5]

We spent a day very involved with maps and how to use them yesterday in second grade. I used this one as a read aloud, along with Me On the Map. This one is fun for the kids - presented in Seusslike ways. It does a good job of introducing, defining, and even giving examples of types of maps and features found on maps. This was the first time I used this as a read aloud, and was pleased in doing so. It helped me accomplish what I needed to with my students.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

We liked this book a lot. You learn all sorts of 'geography' words like latitude and longitude. It shows you how to read a map (with the legend). It has the traditional Dr. Suess type rhyme going, but some of the words make it too hard for a beginning reader.

My kids were inspired to pull out the maps and draw their own. Excellent reference for any study of geography or map unit.

[Kara Immel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is fabulous! It contains Geography words and helps illustrate what maps are and all the different kinds of maps. This is not only great for younger children but for older ones as well will get a kick out of the tongue twister language.

[Dolly · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an entertaining and informative book about maps. With a fun, rhyming narrative, classic Dr. Seuss characters, and colorful background scenes of different deserts, it's a good book to read aloud with children.

The book shows different types of maps and how they are used. The basic concepts are covered and it shows how maps and charts are useful in different ways. I love that it even mentions that charts are used by aviators, especially since that was a huge part of my own aviation experience, but I was surprised that GPS devices weren't touched on at all.

The scale proportions are mentioned, although for a true math lesson, I would recommend other books, like Mapping Penny's World by Loreen Leedy, to show how scale is used to create a useful map.

Overall, I thought this was an entertaining and educational book that reinforces what our girls are learning (or have learned) in school. We enjoyed reading this book together.

[Carly · Rating 5 out of 5]

After noticing that my nephew was interesting in map drawing, I decided to see if I could find any books that could promote this area of learning.
I was very impressed with this book, it contained lovely vocabulary that I feel would be beneficial to use as an aide to teaching children about maps. Reading through I thought perhaps some of the elements were more suited to an older child (he is six). However, pleasantly surprised that he has picked up a lot of information through re-reading this book and now has an understanding of things like 'longitude' and 'latitude'.
I also found that because my nephew was familiar with the characters in the story (as you are following around the Cat in the Hat) that he was excited to firstly read the story and then stayed engaged throughout.

This book is excellent at promoting map reading which I feel is such an important tool for children to gain an understanding of the world and encourage spatial thinking.

[Margaret Chind · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a recommended resource for our Memoria Press Kindergarten Enrichment and for the little book that it is, it is extremely useful and a great introduction to cartography. Even with the big words phonetically spelled out. It was perfect for using to introduce my Kinder son (Rascal, 5.5) to maps and he spent the rest of the afternoon pouring over various world atlases from our shelf. While Cat in the Hat is not always my mama favorite, it is continually a big impression hit with the kiddos and the facts to learn are always valuable. Again and again, Tish Rabe impresses me.

We own this book; we bought this one on the recommendation of Memoria Press. Use the coupon code: cherryblossom, to let them know I sent you for a small affiliate blessing to our family.

[Evan · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was awesome and I liked it. My favorite part was the end because it showed a compass.

I used a map at the park ranger place. I use a map at the zoo. "Hey where is my map?" Evan said.

"I threw it away," Dad replied.

"You are the meanest dad in the whole wide world. I didn't care if it was all wrinkled up."

I went on vacation to Texas, New York,South Dakota, Arkansas, Illinois, Ohio, Nebraska, Wyoming, Tennessee, Kentucky, North Carolina, Georgia,Kansas, Oklahoma,Michigan, Wisconsin, Indiana, Pennsylvania,Missouri and Ontario.

[Matthew · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this with a second grade class today and I have to admit, it does a fairly proficient job covering the topic of maps. It hit on a lot of the terms that we had already been using in class as well as touching on a few words that hadn't come up yet, such as cartographer. All in all, it was well received by the class and I look forward to using it again with other classes in the future. A good book like this one brings topics that might otherwise be deemed dreadfully dull into an understandable and, dare I say, fun context. The kids I was teaching seemed to think so. Well done.

[Cheryl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good in conjunction with map study. It introduces lots of concepts--e.g., scale, compass rose, longitude/latitude--maybe too many for one session, but it can easily be read in installments. SmartBoard projection--world map, plan of a house. Follow-up activity: Kids label and illustrate a plan of the library.

[Marcie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is not much of a story or a poem, though in a Seuss-like way it is both, but it is effective in teaching map skills. My daughter wasn't interested in having me read it to her for almost a year. But I guess at almost 5 she is mature enough to follow the vocabulary (which is what this book is really about) and understand and enjoy maps, globes, charts, and plans.

[Ayana Mishelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

CaT IN THE HAT introduces beginning readers to maps. A great book for all ages . reccommended for 1st -2nd grade but can be used for engagement or a hook in other grades who think the cat in the hat is baby baby . Dr. Suess did not write this book there is a whole series that you will just fall in love with by this author Tish Rabe

[Rosa Cline · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a wonderful way to introduce children to reading maps and knowing the various kinds of maps there are. How to read the 'key' and how to remember North, EAst, South and West etc. Really liked this approach to teaching this. My special needs teenage son AND my 3 year old granddaughter really enjoyed this book.

[Kristina · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had no idea that this book even existed until one of my kids brought it home from school. As a teachers aide I think this book does a good job on talking about maps and making it fun for kids to enjoy. This is an AR book but the questions can be a bit challenging. I would recommend this book to others.

[Madison Impton · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is amazing for anyone trying to make a lesson on maps, cartography, latitude, longitude, etc. With all the aspects of a Dr. Seuss book, this is learning maps made easy. Covering all aspects of maps this is a great addition to lesson, and this book can even be made into a mini lesson itself to help students learn and understand maps.

[Shannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a cute book! This was recommend to my class in our grad school level GIS program. Even though I know all the concepts, it was still fun to read them in this book. I love that young readers can be exposed to mapping concepts so early!

[L.L. Lily · Rating 5 out of 5]

Picture books always makes learning fun and interesting. Wished they had this when I was younger, geography and maps always seemed boring to me as a child. Would definitely recommend this book to expecting mothers and parents teaching their children early literacy/reading.

[Dawn Fielder · Rating 5 out of 5]

I saw this book at a Social Studies conference. It was used in a PK geography unit. This book is accurate and engaging. It is good book for introducing little ones to maps and globes.

[Ale · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice!

[Erth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love it

[Renee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book for children who love maps

[Áine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good content but very America-centric.

[Dan Nesbitt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Use it in teaching Cub Scouts about maps. A personal favorite and read it several times in a program year

[DuPar · Rating 5 out of 5]

I like Cat in the Hat books. All Cat in the Hat books are funny.

[Katie Little]

I read this for a class and enjoyed it. Great book!

[Darleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love these educational dr Seuss books, they are so fun to read!

[Jess Weaver · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although I originally thought this book was by Dr. Seuss you would be mistaken. This book is all about Cat in the Hat teaching kids what a map is. It teaches kids about capitals, cartographers, equator, globe, a grid, latitude, legend, longitude, map, scale, symbol and a topographical map. While reading this book, Tish Rabe, uses rhyming to help kids understand the concepts listed above. I thought this book was so educational, I have not used a physical map in a long time, so I honestly forgot about some of these concepts. I wanted to read this book because my mother in law gave me a stack of books all about different things, I did notice a few books in there about books and I thought this was a Dr. Seuss book I had not ever read. Again, it is not. But it was still an informative read.I would add this to my personal library because kids love rhyming books and if it looks like it's Dr. Seuss I am sure there will be some kids who want to read it. I love how informational this book is and how it can teach kids things without them realizing that they are being educated.

[Helen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great series for kids! It offers lots of information, with poetry, great pictures, a glossary and an index!