"The Shape of Things" book blog

“The Shape of Things”

Author & Illustrator: Dayle Ann Dodds & Julie Lacome

Reviewed By: Kristine Beckford

Recommended Age Level: 2-5 years old

CCSSM Standards:

CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.K.G.B.5
-Model shapes in the world by building shapes from components (e.g., sticks and clay balls) and drawing shapes.

CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.K.G.B.6
-Compose simple shapes to form larger shapes. 

Summary:

“The Shape of Things” by Dayle Ann Dodds is a child-friendly book that introduces readers to shapes. It allows reader to discover the many structures that are built using shapes; structures many can be familiar with, such as boats, houses, kites. Each page subliminally has images of various shapes, while at the same time discussing one specific shape. For example, a page that introduces a square may have an image of a sun which is a circle, that readers can also practice identifying. “The Shape of Things” is targeted for children ages 2-5 years old, as it is eye-catching with its many colors and shapes.

Rating: 4 Stars

This book is rated four stars because it showed readers real life images such as houses and boats that are made out of shapes. Each page allowed children to notice additional shapes. It did not receive 5 stars because it only included the basic shapes. 

Classroom Ideas:

-Using pattern blocks, students will create a new shape by combining two or more pieces of one shape (using two triangles to form a square)

-Using pre-cut shapes, students will create images using shapes and describing what it is