Perfect Squares

Perfect Squares

Hall, M. (2011). Perfect squares. Greenwillow Books.

This book is great and so creative! It starts with a perfect square and each illustration after shows the square transforming into something new. The square is changed into a fountain, garden, park, bridge, river, mountains, and a window. Each transformation is thanks to a different action: cut/poked, scrapped, stripped, shattered, ribbon-ed, and crumpled. The colors of the illustration reflect a change of each page. The final transformation does not change the shape at all, by just keeping it a square. 

The illustrations in this book remind me of an Eric Carle book. The colors and shapes used are very reminiscent of The Very Hungry Caterpillar. I think for this reason, the illustrations are easy to sequence. The illustrations do most of the story telling. I like the book for that reason! 

Any activity for this book can easily be associated with math! Students can make a square my measuring with a ruler and paper and subsequently follow the directions in the book to transform the square. This book could be a great introduction to a shape unit. It can also introduce a project in which students must find shapes in everyday life.  I think this book can be read to students through middle school. The concepts in the book could be expanded upon for older grades. 

Here is a link to some potential activities!