Zero, Zilch, Nada: Counting to None

by Wendy Ulmer, Laura Knorr (Illustrator)

Overview

Harry is excited! Today is the first day at his new job at the Four Color Balloon Factory. Harry loves balloons almost more than anything! When Mr. Huffy, his new boss, tells him to blow up 100 balloons for Mrs. Doopido's birthday party, Harry can't wait to get started. But when Harry wants to make sure he has the correct number of balloons for the birthday party, counting the balloons gets confusing. And no matter what he does, the number still comes out wrong. What is the best way to count to 100? Colorful illustrations and a clever storyline will help young readers figure out what Harry needs to do to solve his math dilemma. A former music and English teacher, Wendy Ulmer was inspired to write Zero, Zilch, Nada because of her own "math phobia" and struggles with math as a child. She also wrote A Isn't for Fox: An Isn't Alphabet. Wendy lives in Arrowsic, Maine. Laura Knorr is also the illustrator of the popular holiday title, The Legend of Papa Noël. Zero, Zilch, Nada is her second book with Wendy Ulmer and her fifth book with Sleeping Bear Press. Laura lives in Commerce, Georgia.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781133484530
Publisher:	Sleeping Bear Press
Publication date:	08/06/2010
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	32
File size:	3 MB
Age Range:	6 - 9 Years

Editorial Reviews

Harry the rabbit has his dream job—a balloon blower at the balloon factory. He sets to work the very first day readying one hundred balloons for a birthday party. He gets in the rhythm with a catchy refrain that repeats throughout: "Puff, puff, puff—tie it in a knot—add a nice long string—slip it in a knot." When he finishes blowing up one hundred balloons, he isn't sure if he really has enough. He knows he needs to count them, but keeps losing his place. The rack he puts the balloons in is a ten by ten rack. A friend suggests he count the rows by tens. Harry tries this, but ends up popping a whole row of balloons as he learns to count by tens. Another friend notices there are only ninety left and suggests he counts by fives. Harry tries this, but pops every five balloons. Then another friend comes along and suggests he counts the remainder by twos. Soon there are only thirty-six balloons left, which he counts by ones. As hard as Harry has tried to count his hundred balloons, he soon has none left. His patient boss finally shows him that the balloon rack is a ten-by-ten grid that easily helps him know when he gets to one hundred. Persistent, Harry blows up one hundred more balloons for the party. It will have young readers gasping and laughing as they watch him count his way from one hundred to none. A fun tale for young readers who are learning to count by ones, twos, fives, and tens. Reviewer: Marcie Flinchum Atkins

Children's Literature - Marcie Flinchum Atkins