One Less Fish

by Kim Michelle Toft, Allan Sheather

Counting down from twelve to zero, the reader learns about some of the fish found on the Great Barrier Reef and the threats to their continued existence

Genres: Mathematics, Picture Books, Childrens, Nature, Animals

32 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1997

Reviews

[Isela · Rating 5 out of 5]

I like this book because it has colorful and vibrant illustrations of fishes. This book integrates mathematics, language arts and science. In mathematics students learn to count from 12 to 0. In Language arts it can be used as a read aloud because it is short and has many adjectives to describe the different kind of fishes. Finally, in science it has topics such as overfishing, water pollution, oil spills and drilling of the reef. In addition,my students made connection to this text, because they do have a fish in a fishbowl in the classroom. Therefore, they are aware of being responsible of the class pet.

[Selena L · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this book, each page counts down from 12 fish until it reaches zero fish. On every page, there are two short sentences including the number of fish, the species of fish in the illustration (each page has a different species of fish), and a sentence about how one fish is taken away (drilling, anchors, fishing, divers, etc). There is also a short fact on each page about the reason the fish is taken away.
This book would be great to use as a whole-class or small-group read aloud, especially for students who are ELLs, are having difficulty understanding what subtraction is, or for students who need a visual representation of objects. This book would also be great for a science lesson since it focuses on fish, the Great Barrier Reef, and what is causing the population of fish on the Reef to deteriorate. There are also pages with information about the Great Barrier Reef, the types of fish mentioned in the book, and a glossary that defines terms in the book and general terms related to the Great Barrier Reef.

[Abigail Steiner · Rating 5 out of 5]

I chose this book because it not only has beautiful pictures but it has an incredible message. As this story goes on it teaches children what is going on in the ocean with real fish facts. It also makes one think about the impact humans have has on the worlds ocean. This truly is an important book for anyone.

[Kasmarine · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has beautiful illustrations of fish found on the Great Barrier Reef, which enables learners to enjoy counting down from 12 to 0.
I would also use this text for Science and Social Study lesson because of it environmental-protection perspectives. The author included a glossary and descriptions of fish.

[Kathryn · Rating 5 out of 5]

The words "one less" are clues the book has something to do with subtraction. This book brings much needed attention to the importance of preserving wildlife along the Great Barrier Reef. The illustrations are beautiful and the message is very important for people of all ages, not just children. Subtraction is an important element of this book, but under sad circumstances.

[Sharia A. · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is based off of the Great Barrier Reef in Australia. This book is a counting book for students. This book will be great for students who are ESOL learners or having a hard time learning how to count. This book is filled with colorful pictures of unique animals and underwater surroundings.

[Helen Stower · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a cautionary tale of what may happen if the Great Barrier Reef is not protected. Each double page spread in the book juxtaposes an environmental countdown in the form of a child’s counting book with information pieces about human threats to the Great Barrier Reef. The illustrations use a silk painting techniques that reflects the colour and beauty of coral reefs.

[Molly Toomey · Rating 4 out of 5]

A cautionary tale about the Great Barrier Reef that talks about the fragile ecosystem and what can happen to the fish due to pollution or something similar. It counts down the fish, making it a good book for math, even if it does have a negative kind of thought behind it. A great book to talk about how fragile nature can be, as well as go over numbers with students. Fantastic illustrations.

[Jackie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a great read aloud for introducing and teaching subtraction. The book counts fish (while providing interesting fact) down from 12 to 0. The end explains to reader what affect humans could have on fish if The Great Barrier Reef is not cared for. (K-1)

[Codie Gates · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this book, we count down from 12 to 0. The book has colorful fish illustrations and descriptions of the fish. In the end, when there are zero fish, the book reminds us that we need to take care of our environment or there will be one less fish.

[SARAH · Rating 2 out of 5]

counting down...with fish

[Marge]

rhyming - counting -- fish

[Krista the Krazy Kataloguer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful illustrations in this counting book about species disappearing from the coral reefs.