Shape by Shape

by Suse MacDonald

What am I?
I lived a long, long time ago.
I had round eyes…
lots of sharp teeth…

This new concept book from Caldecott Honor illustrator Suse MacDonald is sure to entertain children. As readers turn the brightly colored, die cut pages, shapes on each page come together to reveal a creature from long ago. Page by page, MacDonald’s bright, cut-paper, collage-style artwork transforms circles into eyes and triangles into scales until a familiar creature is revealed, with the aid of a large fold-out page, on the final spread.

This 9 X 9 jacketed hardcover has die-cut cardstock pages.

Genres: Picture Books, Dinosaurs, Storytime, Childrens, Mathematics, Animals, Pre K

24 pages, Hardcover

First published June 23, 2009

Reviews

[Vicki · Rating 4 out of 5]

I used this one in toddler storytime today, to talk about the early literacy skill of vocabulary, and it went over great -- I used it with a rhyme about circles, which went over big. And the fact that the punchline of the book is a dinosaur? Well. Solid gold!

[Molly Cluff (Library!) · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the style of "Go away, big green monster!" with shape cutouts that make a larger picture. In this case, it's a Brachiosaurus! This is a good book to talk about with shapes, though some of the shapes are a little trickier ("semicircles" for the eyes and whatnot). But this is a short book so it wouldn't be too difficult.

[Shari · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cute book to teach about shapes.

[Anna Penner · Rating 5 out of 5]

This fun colorful book slowly makes a dinosaur as you turn the pages. The simplicity of each page keeps the focus on the shape on each page. This is a great way to learn about shapes.

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very clever use of cut out shapes and color to create a picture of a dinosaur.

[Karla · Rating 4 out of 5]

perfect high quality book for preschool - like go away big green monster

great book

not durable to leave out for little hands without guidance

[Monica Rodriguez · Rating 5 out of 5]

MacDonald, Suse. Shape by Shape (2009). The book starts off with a question having the readers think on the spot. The question leaves readers wondering what lived a long time ago. This book doesn’t have many illustrations but it has wonderful cutouts that make one gigantic illustration at the end. The cutouts are all different types of shapes that include semicircle, oval, crescent, diamond etc. This book would go great if it was paired up with a similar art activity that includes all the shapes discussed in the story. Students can create their own creature with all the shapes they learned. I would recommend this book to all preschool, kindergarten and first-grade teachers because this is a crucial age to learn and master shapes. The students also can learn colors by reading this book because the colors used in this book are solid primary colors. Most of the pages are taken up by a single color. Target audience: ages 3-6

[Sierra Duncan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shape by Shape by Suse MacDonald

Shape by Shape gives suspense while reading, but also giving the name of shapes. The book uses cut outs of shapes to form the dinosaur at the end. The pages give not only hints towards the end dinosaur , but along with the name of the shape. "lots of shape teeth..triangles" this examples describes the pages of the book. First with the hint followed by the shaped shown in the cut out. The book ends with the full dinosaur showing along with all the past shapes. This book was so fun to read, while trying to guess what the animal was. I think that would be an incredible book to have read by children. They are not only learning the concepts of shapes, but a making a dinosaur by flipping through the pages. This book would be great for all ages in my opinion!

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Using die cut outs (similar to Go Away, Big Green Monster!, we use shape after shape to build an animal. Two quick caveats: 1) brachiosaurus had blunt teeth, not sharp teeth, and 2) A couple of the shapes are really obscure (crescent anyone??) and will be harder for the toddlers to guess. Still, I'll use it in story time because the very simple text is easy for littles and who doesn't love dinosaurs?

[Terresa Wellborn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun book for teaching shapes! Similar to Go Away, Big Green Monster! by Ed Emberley, this book involves page turning to "create" a dinosaur.

Themes: shapes, dinosaurs
Ages: todder-K
Pub year: 2009

[Carolyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although very short, and it should be a board book due to simplistic content, Shape by Shape by MacDonald demonstrates the concept of shapes and how they can be combined to create something big - in this case, a dinosaur. It utilizes shapes sometimes not included in other shape concept books such as: semi-circle and oval.

[Tirzah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a hit with kindergarten and first grade. One smart cookie specifically guessed it was a brachiosaurus before the reveal. I'd recommend for a shape math unit or shape themed storytime. I like how it introduces crescent and semicircle, two shapes not commonly discussed.

Great for: Prek-1

Teaches: shapes

[Becky B · Rating 4 out of 5]

Readers are asked to guess the animal based on the die cut shapes of its eyes, mouth, teeth, and other things are introduced spread by spread. (Each also introduces the names of the die cut shapes.)

This was a cleverly designed book that engages readers, and introduces some shapes beyond just circle and square. I wish the cover wasn’t such a huge give away for what the creature is.

[Jasmine Stocker · Rating 5 out of 5]

LOVED THIS BOOK! This book is a perfect kindergarten to 1st-grade learner about shapes that will keep their attention span. Each page adds a cutout shape to the dinosaurs face and in the end, creates a full dinosaur. This book was simple and to the point of what it needed to me.

[Kenzie Garvin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I chose to read this book for its fun, unique, and colorful introduction to simple shapes. It is a mystery to see which shape will be used next and what the shapes are creating. The reader must use their imagination and creativity while exploring each page. This book is a great way to introduce simple shapes or reinforce a new concept.

[Susan Wheeler · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book offers a unique insight on how to learn. It offerees the reader a variety of different shapes, simple and complex. It then makes the shapes into a whole picture so the audience can see ho often shapes make up everyday creatures and objects that we see everyday.

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

She LOVED this one

[Leslie · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Casandria · Rating 4 out of 5]

Simple book showing how shapes build to make something interesting (like a dinosaur)!
Dinosaur
Shapes

[Daso!a Ogundare · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sygbhg

[Stephanie Watson · Rating 3 out of 5]

A cute book that uses shapes to slowly build a picture at the end. However, any surprise is spoiled by the fact that the object being built is right there on the front cover

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fantastic, highly engaging book that introduces young children to shapes. Very clever and lots of fun.

[Alyssa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Should work for storytime!

[Sadia Mansoor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love how different shapes made up into a final picture in the end! (Y)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GuXZv...

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Concept; shapes

[Brianna Brown]

Very cute book, BUT a Brachiosaurus does not have sharp teeth.

[June · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting take on taking a number of different shapes to create a mostly the face of a dinosaur though a couple of shapes are added at the end in the body.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great introduction to some of the less obvious shapes.

[Emily Carlyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short and sweet. Good for wobblers. Talking about shapes and making shapes with fingers.

[Isaac · Rating 5 out of 5]

"A dinosaur was big! And a little bit small. A dinosaur was doing shapes." --Isaac, age 3