Zero Is The Leaves On The Tree
Author: Betsy Franco
Illustrator: Shino Arihara Publisher: Scholastic Inc. Year of Publication: 2009 Genre: Children's Non-Fiction/Poetry Kirkus Review: Starred Review Summary: The story is about the number zero, not just about the leaves on the tree. The book gives examples of things that include the number zero. |
Summary of Professional Reviews: Many of the rewviews consider this book to be a book of poetry; a book the gives the number zero a meaning. They also agree with the notion that the book is about zero and that it amounts to nothing, but some believe that zero symbolizes something. The illustrations are moving and have details that catch the eye. They believe that the children will believe that nothing really does mean something.
Review by Sarah Custard: When first reading the title of the book, most students would think that this book is about winter and the leaves falling from the trees. I believe this book is written in simple terms so children would be able to understand this easily, and it is written like a book of poetry. The illustrations are very detailed and can give students a better explanation of what is going on during some parts (zero is... the blossoms in the garden just before the buds open). The fact that it says "0 balls" or zero something on each page could also put it into perspective. |
This book could be useful for many different things while teaching. The first thing that I think of is using this when teaching the number zero. Sometimes students do not necessarily understand that there is more than one way to say that there is nothing there. The illustrations show that there are not any balls in the bucket or that there are no leaves on the tree. The illustrations put into perspective the idea of zero. This book could also be useful when teaching seasons. During fall and winter, the leaves fall of the tree, the ducks migrate to the south, and there is snow. The book then gets into spring: flying kites, and flowers blossoming. The last season it touches on is summer: the last day of school, swimming in the pool, and going to the beach. I am sure the book could be used for an art lesson as well, but teaching zero and the seasons seem to be the most prominent.
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