My selection is "Edgar Allan Poe's Pie: math puzzlers in classic poems" written by J. Patrick Lewis and illustrated by Michael Slack.
POETRY + PARODY + MATH = FUN!
Children's Poet Laureate, Lewis, plays with some of the classic verses of fourteen renowned poets from Poe, Dickinson and Frost to Nash, Silverstein and Hughes to create a collection of poetry puzzles that are sure to delight, entertain and (don't tell the kids) practice math skills.
Here's a short taste of the fun if you're up for the challenge. I've provided Lewis' answer at the end of this post. No peeking before you figure it out!
Edward Lear's Elephant With Hot Dog
Inspired By "There Was An Old Man With A Beard" by Edward Lear
When an elephant sat down to order
A half of a third of a quarter
Of an eighty-foot bun
and a frankfurter, son,
Was it longer than three feet, or shorter?
Lewis provides the answers upside down at the end of each poem. He concludes the book with a brief biographical note about each of the poets.
Slack's colorful illustrations are full of whimsical fun.
ANSWER: 1/2 X 1/3 X 1/4 = 1/24.
1/24 X 80 feet = 3 1/3 feet.
3 1/3 feet is greater than 3 feet so the hot dog is longer.
1 comment:
Oh, I've been meaning to get this one...now it's moved up the list! Thank you for sharing a book that mixes poetry with math - such fun! Happy Poetry Saturday!
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