Probably Pistachio (MathStart 2) - Softcover

Stuart J. Murphy is a visual learning specialist. A graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design, he has a strong background in design and art direction. He also has extensive experience in the world of educational publishing. Drawing on all these talents, Stuart J. Murphy brings a unique perspective to the MathStart series. In MathStart books, pictures do more than tell stories; they teach math.

Stuart J. Murphy and his wife, Nancy, live in Boston.

Gr 1-2-Jack is having a bad day. Everything goes wrong, from his alarm clock not going off in the morning to his futile hopes of pizza for dinner. The word "probably" is used several times, along with related possibilities, like "usually" and "sometimes." Even though the coach "nearly always" chooses teams a certain way, today he changes his method, and Jack and his friend are separated. With an "even chance" that Mom brought home his favorite ice cream, she pulls out his sister's favorite (but she also had his favorite in the bag). The cartoon illustrations extend the narrative, showing some activities not mentioned in the text, such as Jack spilling milk on his homework. Characters react to the action in dialogue balloons, and the protagonist's thought processes are shown as well. Winborn's characters have excellent facial expressions and Jack's dog has a personality of its own. While Judith Viorst gave readers the classic version of a truly bad day with Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day (Atheneum, 1972), Murphy uses it to illustrate probability instead.-Sharon R. Pearce, Geronimo Public School, OK

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.