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Jerry Pallotta Math Books
Count to a Million
This inventive new counting book by well-known author Jerry Pallotta will dazzle the imaginations of young readers while strengthening math skills and building confidence.
This book begins, "If you can count to ten, you can count to one million." Although some may have their doubts, by using basic math grouping skills readers will find themselves counting higher than they ever thought possible. COUNT TO A MILLION will inspire even the most reluctant math student, building confidence and showing that math can, in fact, be fun.
This book begins, "If you can count to ten, you can count to one million." Although some may have their doubts, by using basic math grouping skills readers will find themselves counting higher than they ever thought possible. COUNT TO A MILLION will inspire even the most reluctant math student, building confidence and showing that math can, in fact, be fun.
32 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2003
42 people want to read
About the author
Jerry Pallotta
240 books112 followersMy full name is Gerard Larry Pallotta but my mom always called me "Jerry". I was born on March 26, 1953 in Boston, Massachusetts. My mom's name is Mary, and she came from a family of ten children. My dad's name is Joe, and he came from a family of five children. My grandparents were immigrants of Italian descent. I have the nicest parents in the world. They have always been unselfish and ready to help me, even today. I have four brothers and two sisters: Joey, David, Andrew, Danny, Cindy and Mickey. I have seventy-two first cousins. When I was growing up, there were...KIDS EVERYWHERE!
My family moved to Medford, Massachusetts when I was young. I went to elementary school at Mt. Trinity Academy, not far from where my publisher is located in Watertown, Massachusetts. I never wrote a book in elementary school, and we never kept journals. In the neighborhood where I grew up, almost every family had seven to nine children. I guess that you could say that there were...KIDS EVERYWHERE!
I went to high school at Boston College High School, a Jesuit all-boys school in downtown Boston. The priests and other teachers were really wonderful. I played football and ran track. I had a great high school experience and I think later it made my studies in college much easier. My sons Neil and Eric graduated from Boston College High School in 2001 and 2003. Neil was named after a teacher I had, Fr. Neil Callahan, S.J. I never wrote a book in high school, and I never wrote for the school newspaper. I was too shy and was afraid of what other kids would think.
After high school I went to Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. I majored in business, a subject that would help me later in life when I decided to publish my first book. At Georgetown, I met my wife, Linda. In college I was an average student and was captain of the Georgetown University Rugby Team. I never wrote for the college newspaper, and I never imaged writing books. A couple of years later, Linda and I got married and I started to work at an insurance company in Boston. During the first six years of being married, we had four kids. It seemed like there were...KIDS EVERYWHERE!
Today, we spend a lot of time with my 31 nieces and nephews...again...KIDS EVERYWHERE!
I learned valuable skills while talking to people, selling insurance and collecting money. When I came home from work, Linda would ask me to "read to the kids!" I loved reading to my kids and I learned to appreciate children's books. The first few books that we bought were alphabet books and counting books. "A" was always for Apple and "Z" was always for Zebra. One day I decided, "Hey, I can do this!" I had an idea. I would write an alphabet book about the Atlantic Ocean. I spent every summer at Peggotty Beach in Scituate, Massachusetts. I have great memories of lobstering, fishing, mossing, clamming and rowing in my dory.
My first book was written in 1985 when I was 32 years old. I came up with the idea, wrote it, designed it, researched it, edited it and my cousin, Frank Mazzola, Jr. illustrated it. I published it myself under the name of Peggotty Beach Books. What fun! It was first printed on July 7, 1986. I'll never forget that day. The book eventually became the #1 best selling book at the New England Aquarium. I was afraid that only my mother would like it. Teachers and kids told me they really liked my book.
While speaking in schools, teachers also told me they were looking for simple non-fiction nature books. It gave me the confidence to write more. My next book, "The Icky Bug Alphabet Book", has sold more than 1 million copies. My third book, "The Bird Alphabet Book" was voted one of the best books of the year by Birders World Magazine. I now have over twenty alphabet books. My goal has always been to write interesting, fact-filled, fun to read, beautifully illustrated color children's books. Thank you to all my illustrators: Ralph Masiello, Frank Mazzola, Jr., Rob Bolster, Edgar Stewart, Leslie
My family moved to Medford, Massachusetts when I was young. I went to elementary school at Mt. Trinity Academy, not far from where my publisher is located in Watertown, Massachusetts. I never wrote a book in elementary school, and we never kept journals. In the neighborhood where I grew up, almost every family had seven to nine children. I guess that you could say that there were...KIDS EVERYWHERE!
I went to high school at Boston College High School, a Jesuit all-boys school in downtown Boston. The priests and other teachers were really wonderful. I played football and ran track. I had a great high school experience and I think later it made my studies in college much easier. My sons Neil and Eric graduated from Boston College High School in 2001 and 2003. Neil was named after a teacher I had, Fr. Neil Callahan, S.J. I never wrote a book in high school, and I never wrote for the school newspaper. I was too shy and was afraid of what other kids would think.
After high school I went to Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. I majored in business, a subject that would help me later in life when I decided to publish my first book. At Georgetown, I met my wife, Linda. In college I was an average student and was captain of the Georgetown University Rugby Team. I never wrote for the college newspaper, and I never imaged writing books. A couple of years later, Linda and I got married and I started to work at an insurance company in Boston. During the first six years of being married, we had four kids. It seemed like there were...KIDS EVERYWHERE!
Today, we spend a lot of time with my 31 nieces and nephews...again...KIDS EVERYWHERE!
I learned valuable skills while talking to people, selling insurance and collecting money. When I came home from work, Linda would ask me to "read to the kids!" I loved reading to my kids and I learned to appreciate children's books. The first few books that we bought were alphabet books and counting books. "A" was always for Apple and "Z" was always for Zebra. One day I decided, "Hey, I can do this!" I had an idea. I would write an alphabet book about the Atlantic Ocean. I spent every summer at Peggotty Beach in Scituate, Massachusetts. I have great memories of lobstering, fishing, mossing, clamming and rowing in my dory.
My first book was written in 1985 when I was 32 years old. I came up with the idea, wrote it, designed it, researched it, edited it and my cousin, Frank Mazzola, Jr. illustrated it. I published it myself under the name of Peggotty Beach Books. What fun! It was first printed on July 7, 1986. I'll never forget that day. The book eventually became the #1 best selling book at the New England Aquarium. I was afraid that only my mother would like it. Teachers and kids told me they really liked my book.
While speaking in schools, teachers also told me they were looking for simple non-fiction nature books. It gave me the confidence to write more. My next book, "The Icky Bug Alphabet Book", has sold more than 1 million copies. My third book, "The Bird Alphabet Book" was voted one of the best books of the year by Birders World Magazine. I now have over twenty alphabet books. My goal has always been to write interesting, fact-filled, fun to read, beautifully illustrated color children's books. Thank you to all my illustrators: Ralph Masiello, Frank Mazzola, Jr., Rob Bolster, Edgar Stewart, Leslie
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
November 24, 2008
Count to a Million – Jerry Pallotta
A creative way to help children visualize exactly how big the number one million is.
The recent inclusion of math books for small children in popular has been great. This particular one uses common items such as ants, ladybugs, gumballs, people and grains of sand to help children move from the number one right through to the one million. The illustrations are clear and the text large. The last page includes a chart of the numbers helping kids to see how many ways they can make the number one million. Not particularly clever or innovative, however, this book does get the job done. It is very simple and to the point, which can be a good teaching tool for this age group.
A creative way to help children visualize exactly how big the number one million is.
The recent inclusion of math books for small children in popular has been great. This particular one uses common items such as ants, ladybugs, gumballs, people and grains of sand to help children move from the number one right through to the one million. The illustrations are clear and the text large. The last page includes a chart of the numbers helping kids to see how many ways they can make the number one million. Not particularly clever or innovative, however, this book does get the job done. It is very simple and to the point, which can be a good teaching tool for this age group.
May 1, 2023
This is a great mathematical counting picture book. I love that this book can be used across two different curriculums. It does a great job of breaking down a subject that can be very confusing for students. The pictures are great representations of the base ten number system and the colors make the book so much more appealing.
May 4, 2023
Keywords: counting, number system
Summary: a great math counting picture book that has amazing pictures and vibrancy that make this subject more appealing for students.
Prompt: the sub-format/category of this picture book is counting. I know this because all the pages have different examples such as gum balls, ants, lady bugs to help count out to a million.
Summary: a great math counting picture book that has amazing pictures and vibrancy that make this subject more appealing for students.
Prompt: the sub-format/category of this picture book is counting. I know this because all the pages have different examples such as gum balls, ants, lady bugs to help count out to a million.
August 4, 2021
Pallotta, J. (2003). Count to a million. New York: Scholastic.
April 24, 2013
This book was a really fun read. It was made for people to actually picture how much a million really is. There were a bunch of different ways that the author made us visualize different big amounts. The book is great for the classroom because it involves math. There is a lot of adding and subtracting for the kids to do and it shows them that math is everywhere. It is also a good example of a nonfiction book that isn't a biography or autobiography.
April 22, 2012
I like this book because it introduces the concept of base ten and place value. In addition, this book talks about 10 times 10 is 100, and 100 times 10 is 1000, etc. I can use this book in my classroom to allow my students to see the pattern and use materials such as the hundred flats, trains of ten, etc.
July 13, 2009
Good book on counting and place value
November 5, 2010
This book teaches about Place Value
Base ten knowledge
It shows the columns in which whatever number should be placed.
Like for the ones, tens, hundreds, etc it goes on until a million.
Base ten knowledge
It shows the columns in which whatever number should be placed.
Like for the ones, tens, hundreds, etc it goes on until a million.
December 4, 2010
This is a great book to teach students counting strategies and place-value.
April 22, 2012
This is a great book to teach students counting strategies and place-value to students from K-3.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews