Piece = Part = Portion: Fractions = Decimals = Percents

by Scott Gifford, Shmuel Thaler (Photographer)

Just as hola and bonjour mean “hello,” in the language of math, fractions, decimals, and percents describe the same thing in slightly different ways. So why are so many kids bewildered by this math basic? Because rarely is the explanation of this important concept presented so clearly. Now there'¬?s PIECE = PART = PORTION, to offer clarity with hip graphic presentation to boot. Finally!Engaging antidote to mathphobia. Photography will appeal to visual learners.

Genres: Mathematics, Nonfiction, Childrens, Picture Books

32 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2003

Reviews

[Jodi Young · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book takes fractions one step further and goes into proportions, decimals and percents. It is also very helpful because it goes beyond food and into other tangible objects and concepts. It also has the percentage, decimal and fraction all on one page. This book could be in one of the math stations and they can make their own page using the decimal, fraction, and percentage.

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mark and I really enjoyed this book. The author explains the concept simply on the first page, then the majority of the rest of the book is taken up with examples of fractions. The page lists the fractional part...so 1/12 of a dozen of eggs and also lists that it is .08 and 8% of a dozen of eggs. Though he understood fractions very well, it was helpful for him to see that expressions of decimals and percents were just a different way of stating a fraction. Simple pictures. Nicely done.

[Katherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the perfect book to help children learn about fractions, decimals, and percents! The book contains photographs of real life examples of what percents, decimals, and fractions look like. For example a picture of one shoe out of a pair of shoes will be shown with 1/2 of a pair of shoes, .50 and 50% written. Including all three shows students how these concepts are connected and what they mean. This is a good book to help students see how math is incorporated into our everyday lives.

[Rachel]

Great book to use in math for talking about fractions. Can make a pizza for activity for this or use pizza pictures to do an activity.

[Rayjan Koehler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good math book for kids.

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

This fun and concise concept book alliteratively and rhythmically asks and answers, “Find fractions frustrating? Do decimals get you down? Perhaps you’re puzzled by percents. Never fear—the solution to your confusion is here!” Early readers will be immediately drawn to the book for its photographic cover of a scrumptious slice of pizza on a primary red background while the simplicity of what’s inside—very large black text accompanied by large, colorful photographs concretely demonstrating the concept of fractions, decimals and percents will make these math concepts very understandable to students earlier than third grade. Thaler’s photography is noteworthy in that he takes familiar objects to a child—like a sneaker or an open pack of chewing gum or a traffic light or a sandwich from a paper bag lunch—and makes them clearly illustrative as parts of a whole. This nonfiction book is written by an elementary school teacher who understands a child’s bewilderment of a math standard such as “the relationship between whole numbers, simple fractions, and decimals” (California Department of Education, 1997).

[Jane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Piece = Part = Portion gives students a visual teaching tool to learn about fractions = decimals = percents using everyday examples that they are familiar with in their lives. For example the traffic lights that they only see on light up at a time for 1/3 or .33 or 33% gives them a new way to relate math to a useful way to think about new concepts. This helps by using the familiar to teach a new concept and make it easy to remember and use in the future. This book is great for the age range it is targeted age and grade levels, where decimals, percents and fractions are taught. I used it often with my 5th grade classes the two years I taught these grades and they helped many of the children in those classes to see new relationships in math and be able to use them to solve problems. This is a math teaching tool that I have owned and used in the classroom for a few years now with great success.

[Jennifer · Rating 2 out of 5]

First page of book is excellent to show students how things look or sound different, but mean the same thing. First with saing hello is different languages, then saying happy with different adjectives, then finally showing the same number as a fraction, decimal, and percent. Beyond the first page the book is very young, with pictures and the amount from the picture shown as a fraction, decimal, and percent (Ex. 1 shoe in picture = 1/2 of a pair of shoes, 0.50, 50%). Best to use to illustrate the connection between fractions, decimals, and percents for lower level students.

6th Grade Common Core Standards: The Number System - doesn't meet 6th grade standards

*Available at Albuquerque/Bernalillo County Libraries*

[Robert · Rating 2 out of 5]

My colleague produced this book to read to the class. Visually it presents a correlation between fractions, decimals, and percentages. This is a skill we are beginning.

There is some merit in presenting the information like this book does at the outset rather than merely teaching the skill cold. For some students, there is a benefit in placing it all together before breaking it apart.

It was also a valuable tool in reviewing how to read fractions and decimals.

[Tricia · Rating 4 out of 5]

The students in my third grade placement are learning about fractions and percentages so I thought I would look up a book or two on the subject seeing how they were struggling with the concept. This is a good book to use for that because it takes fractions and decimals step by step. Good for grades 1-2.

[Dolly · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a wonderful book that explains the connection between fractions, decimals and percents. It has a simple narrative and big, colorful photographs, so it will appeal to elementary school-age children. I love that it helps to show the inverse relationship to the size of the denominator and the size of the portion. We really enjoyed reading this book together.

[Kristen]

This was a good think-it-out reasoning of why fractions are the same as decimals, which are the same as percents, just a different way of saying the same thing (just like hello and hola are just different ways of saying the same thing). Excellent living math in action.

[Amanda Davenport · Rating 2 out of 5]

math book - illustrates fractions and their relationships to decimals. i've read it aloud to the class, but i think it's more effective to use in small groups because then the kids can see it up close.

[Denesha Allen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think that this book could be used best as reinforcement after fractions have already been introduced. However, the book uses fractions that students are familiar with: halves, thirds, and fourths.

[Aiyana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book with simple text and understandable visuals.

[Vilo · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good way to visualize percents/fractions/decimals (and learn the Spanish words for them too).

[Shannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great in a similar vein to Tana Hoban's work.

[Rani · Rating 5 out of 5]

Friendly introduction to the mind boggling concepts of math

[Rosie Gearhart · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice introduction to these math concepts. Ages 6+