J. Richard Dennis

This is a surprisingly great book from 1971. It starts with the fraction one half and shows many different shapes that are broken into halves. Readers are asked to apply the idea of one half to their surrounding environment. The book also challenges readers through trace and cut exercises to show that areas may be equivalent that do not appear so. The reader must match shapes to find out.

This book also introduces the idea of complementary fractions. When one-third is shaded, what amount is unshaded? Fractions are explored up to the fourths.

I was glad to see the last page contained information about the author and the illustrator. The author, Dennis, is a mathematics teacher and trainer. This certainly qualifies him with the authority to write a book about fractions. I wish the book mentioned what subject his doctorate is in.

The anonymously written inside cover contains a bit of a stretch to suggest that after reading this book one half of two thirds will easily be understood as one third. Dennis has no mention of multiplying fractions like this or taking a fraction of a fraction.

This is a useful book with great shapes that students can learn from without being the workbook full of exercises that many math books are.… (mais)