(4) K-3 Math Is Categorical series. Illustrated by Brian Gable. Vigorous rhymes explain what U.S. money looks like and how it can be counted and used to buy things. Unappealing cartoon cats, carrying realistic bills and coins, illustrate the lesson. The frenzied pace doesn't permit consideration of the concepts, but readers may pick up the message that money is "something you can save or lend or spend on what you please."

Reviewer: Rachel L. Smith

(4) K-3 Math Is Categorical series. Illustrated by Brian Gable. Cleary starts with pizza slices as an example of fractions in action. He also talks about cooking ("Fractions come in handy / if you ever help with baking. / You'll see them in the recipes / for breads and cakes you're making") then touches on terminology (numerator, denominator). Information is limited, but it's an entertaining starting point.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz

(4) K-3 Math Is Categorical series. Illustrated by Brian Gable. Cleary's zany cartoon cats, shown in Gable's brightly colored illustrations, help define and categorize mathematical patterns. The book provides an entertaining starting point for kids learning about patterns; the rhyming text is snappy, but some of the examples aren't clear.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz

(4) K-3 Math Is Categorical series. Illustrated by Brian Gable. Cleary and Gable's zany, education-minded cats present an introduction to circles, ovals, triangles, squares, and rectangles through humorous rhymes. Each shape is described using a number of different examples (e.g., a circle could be a polka dot, Hula-Hoop, or bike tire). Though the rhymes don't all work perfectly, the volume is generally entertaining and accessible.

Reviewer: Beth L. Meister

(4) K-3 Math Is Categorical series. Illustrated by Brian Gable. The book defines ounces, pounds, tons, grams, kilograms, and metric tons, providing examples of each weight and its equivalents. Though the rhymes don't always scan, their boisterousness and the wacky cartoon cats make this book accessible. Teachers may find it a useful place to start a unit on weights and measures.

Reviewer: Beth L. Meister

(4) K-3 Math Is Categorical series. Illustrated by Brian Gable. "Subtraction is an action that will make your total less, / whether ice-cream scoops or hula hoops or inches from a dress." A rhyming text employs various kid-pleasing objects to introduce the concept of subtraction. Some rhymes push it ("dentist" leads to "bent wrist"), but young readers may find the groaners, accompanied by sleek, dopey-looking-animal–filled art, part of the fun.

Reviewer: Nell Beram