Arithmetic

by Carl Sandburg, Ted Rand (Illustrator)

Illustrations of anamorphic imagery, seen as distortions of optical images, enhance a version of one of Carl Sandburg's most beloved poems, complete with the poet's own fascinating method of calculation.

Genres: Mathematics, Poetry

27 pages, Hardcover

First published April 1, 1993

About the author

Free verse poems of known American writer Carl August Sandburg celebrated American people, geography, and industry; alongside his six-volume biography Abraham Lincoln (1926-1939), his collections of poetry include Smoke and Steel (1920).

This best editor won Pulitzer Prizes. Henry Louis Mencken called Carl Sandburg "indubitably an American in every pulse-beat."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carl_San...

Reviews

[Miri Gifford · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a lot more interesting after I read the explanation, which is, for some reason, at the end of the book. The illustrations are anamorphic, which means they're distorted to make you look at things differently. You hold the book partially open and look with your eye close to the red arrow. The best page is the one where you hold the mylar sheet (included in the front cover) in a cylindrical shape, or around a soda can, and place it on the page. It looks very cool.

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I like the whimsical nature of the poem. The artwork is intriguing. This poem would make a great opening day activity with intermediate or middle school students.

[Barbara Lovejoy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun poem. Can't decide if I like the unusual artwork or not.

[Sarah Rourke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Personal Reaction: I enjoyed this book. It was quick and easy to read as well as informative. It will be a fun book to read to kids, and they will easily stay engaged.

Purposes: Read aloud to students in 1st through 3rd grade.
-Read aloud during a Math lesson, especially when teaching about arithmetic.
-Read aloud as a poem book as well, to introduce students to poetry that isn't always the type of poetry they might think about. This book is upbeat, rhyming, and teaches certain tricks to remembering facts about arithmetic.
-The illustrations are very important in this book. They are mostly numbers that are sprawled out across the pages. They are sometimes huge, sometimes small, something curvy, sometimes diagonal, depending on what is written on the page. This adds emphasis to understanding and staying engaged.

[MCPLD Youth Department · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like this poetry book more for the illustrations. There was some interesting optical illusions to study.

[Heather Edrington · Rating 4 out of 5]

Children would be interested in the pictures in this book. The story that accompanies the pictures is short but good.

[Sara Taylor-hughes · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good for middle school math