Bear In A Square

Bear In A Square

Reviewed by: Maranyelin Quezada

Author: Stella Blackstone

Illustrator: Debbie Harter

Recommended Grade Level: 2 Years Old- Kindergarten

Common Core Content Standards Addressed:

CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.K.CC.B.4.B
Understand that the last number name said tells the number of objects counted. The number of objects is the same regardless of their arrangement or the order in which they were counted.

CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.K.G.A.1
Describe objects in the environment using names of shapes, and describe the relative positions of these objects using terms such as above, below, beside, in front of, behind, and next to.

Summary: Bear in A Square is an interactive book that allows the reader to explore different shapes, and practice how to count. Each picture contains an increasing amount of the shapes that is specified. It starts with 1 square, then 2 hearts, 3 circles, 4 rectangles, 5moons, 6 triangles, 7 diamonds 8 zigzags, 9 ovals, and 10 stars.  

Rating:

I would rate this book a 4 out of 5. This is my daughter’s favorite book, so it has a lot of great features that can catch the attention of a 3-year-old. The pictures are beautiful, vibrant, and easy to see. My daughter can read the book back to me by looking at the pictures to figure out what we are searching for next. I would not give it a total 5, because the key on the side of the page can be confusing for the young reader. Instead of considering it a separate part of the book, my daughter would continue to count the shapes on the side too.

Classroom Ideas:

•    An activity that is inspired by this book is a shape scavenger hunt. After reading the story, students will get the perfect warm up for their observing eyes. Students can work in a group or pairs to first find 1 square, then 2 hearts, then 3 circles, and so on. Each team will then tape the shapes onto a key (an outline created by the teacher of all the shapes that need to be found), until they find all 10 stars. Students will practice counting, quantifying, and identifying shapes.
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•    Another great classroom activity can be the game “I Spy With My Little Eye…”. Students can take turns verbally identifying the shapes that they see in their natural environment, by focusing the game around shapes. Students can also describe where that item is. For example: “I Spy with my little eye something that looks like a rectangle….It is the book on top of the table!”