Arithme-Tickle: An Even Number of Odd Riddle-Rhymes

by J. Patrick Lewis, Frank Remkiewicz (Illustrator)

Overview

Who knew math could be so fun? These 18 zany rhyming riddles involve addition, subtraction, and simple multiplication to calculate everything from poodle weights to travel time. And for anyone who's stumped, the answers are included in mirror -writing below each riddle.

J. Patrick Lewis's clever rhymes and kid-friendly illustrations by bestselling illustrator Frank Remkiewicz add up to a thoroughly engaging book that will inspire even the most reluctant mathematicians to reach for their pencils! 8-1/8 X 10-1/2. Full-color illustrations

Author Biography: J. Patrick Lewis has written more than twenty-five books for children, including Freedom Like Sunlight: Praisesongs for Black Americans and Riddle-icious, which was deemed "irresistible" by School Library Journal. He lives in Ohio.

Frank Remkiewicz is best known for his illustrations in the beloved Froggy series. He has illustrated more than sixty books for young people, most recently Horrible Harry Goes to Sea, the newest installment in the popular Horrible Harry series. Mr. Remkiewicz lives on the gulf coast of Florida.

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Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780152058487
Publisher:	Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Publication date:	04/01/2007
Edition description:	First Edition
Pages:	32
Sales rank:	264,633
Product dimensions:	8.12(w) x 10.50(h) x 0.20(d)
Age Range:	6 - 9 Years

About the Author

J. PATRICK LEWIS has written many books for children, including Riddle-Icious and Isabella Abnormella and the Very, Very Finicky Queen of Trouble. He lives in Ohio.

FRANK REMKIEWICZ is best known for illustrating the beloved Froggy series. Arithme-Tickle is his first book for Harcourt. He lives in Florida.

Editorial Reviews

Arithme-Tickle: An Even Number of Odd Riddle-Rhymes by J. Patrick Lewis, illus. by Frank Remkiewicz, offers a host of clever math riddles with titles like "Finger Play" (which teaches a nifty trick for multiplying by nine) and "Your Average Cow," which asks kids to compare bovine and human life expectancies. Answers appear (upside-down) below each entry. Humorous cartoons multiply the fun. (Apr.) Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.

Publishers Weekly

Everyone can relate to children (and a few adults!) who struggle with math. In this book, subtitled "An Even Number of Odd Riddle-Rhymes," readers are given riddles to solve that have them adding, subtracting, multiplying and dividing like pros before they even know that they're doing math and building confidence in a subject they may have been dreading. As any teacher knows, once the frustration is gone and the self-esteem is boosted, learning comes much more easily. The riddles increase in difficulty as the book progresses, but even budding mathematicians will be up to the challenge. Answers are given in reverse type (have your mirrors ready), with alternate addition solutions given for multiplication problems (i.e. "3 + 3 + 3 + 3 + 3 + 3 = 18 or 3 x 6 = 18"). After working through these problems with a child or class, encourage them to come up with their own riddles. 2002, Harcourt,
— Carey Ahr

Children's Literature

Gr 3-4-A new book by a wordplay master always adds up to fun. Arithme-Tickle brings to math puzzles and queries the same rhythmic zest Lewis's Riddle-Icious (Knopf, 1996) brought to verbal riddles. Remkiewicz's bright, energetic watercolor-and-pencil illustrations amplify the humor in each challenge (a riotous tropical scene accompanies "How Many Coconuts?"-"How many palm trees swaying in the breeze?/How many hives for the bumblebees?/How many warthogs in a quartet?/How many apes eating apes suzette?"). Answers are thoughtfully provided at the end of each poem. A book to enjoy "If you are most particular,/Curved, straight, or perpendicular/(That is, arithme-ticular!)."-Kathleen Whalin, York Public Library, ME Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.

School Library Journal

Math story problems aren't always boring exercises about dividing up a bowl of apples or trains traveling between cities. Sometimes story problems can be rhyming, funny, and delightfully illustrated, as evidenced by this collaboration between Lewis (A World of Wonders, p. 48, etc.) and Remkiewicz, illustrator of the popular Horrible Harry and Froggy series. The 18 math puzzles are full of amusing names and situations, such as calculating the time for a quick trip to Kalamazoo or the weight of a poodle named Poo-poo-pee-doo. Three additional selections include a novel way to multiply by nine as well as a rebus-like round of letters between a dog and a cat (regarding a K-9 T). The text is printed on blue-lined notebook paper with the answers to the puzzles cleverly printed below each problem in reverse (adding a mini-science lesson when the answers are held up to a mirror to be read). Remkiewicz provides cheery illustrations in watercolor and colored pencil, with smiling children and comical animals in double-page spreads that will work well with a group. Most of the puzzles are at the third- or fourth-grade level, but many could be solved by younger children with an adult's help. This is also an excellent choice for younger gifted children, who will enjoy the challenge of math problems with a humorous twist. (Nonfiction. 7-10)

Kirkus Reviews

2002

From the Publisher