How Many Seeds in a Pumpkin? (Mr. Tiffin's Classroom Series)

July 1, 2007
K-Gr 2-Charlie, the smallest kid in class, hates lining up by size. One day, his teacher brings three pumpkins to schoolsmall, medium, and largeand asks the children to guess which one contains the most seeds. After a round of guessing, they open them up and dig in to find out. This messy job yields a surprising answer that leaves Charlie saying, "Small things can have a lot going on inside them." Karas's characteristic watercolor illustrations done in a fall palette depict a diverse, modern classroom full of warm and humorous details. Spreads of the seeds sorted by twos, fives, and tens encourage readers to count along with the students. Intriguing facts about pumpkins, including how to tell which yield the most seeds, conclude the book. This enjoyable story, sprinkled with math and science lessons, should be a first-purchase consideration."Julie Roach, Cambridge Public Library, MA"

Copyright 2007 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

June 1, 2007
This versatile and sincere story will teach math and science concepts while modeling kind behavior. When Mr. Tiffin brings three pumpkins into class for a math and science lesson, all the children guess how many seeds are inside. Charlie, the smallest kid in class, feels frustrated: All the best guesses are taken. Then the class opens the pumpkins and counts the seeds. McNamara introduces the concepts of counting by twos, fives, and tens, and she includes pumpkin facts (the more lines on the pumpkin, the more seeds it will have). Charlie ends up with the correct guess and discovers that small things can have a lot going on inside them. Karas simple, effective illustrations, in the autumnal colors of a fall landscape, capture the multicultural students feelings, especially Charlies quiet confusion and eventual flush of pride and confidence.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2007, American Library Association.)

January 1, 2008
Mr. Tiffin brings three pumpkins to school. To calculate how many seeds are in each, the students scoop out the seeds and begin counting by twos, fives, and tens. Charlie, the smallest student, figures out the littlest pumpkin actually has the most seeds. Fall-hued gouache, acrylic, and pencil illustrations add personality to this story of math, science, and self-discovery.

(Copyright 2008 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)