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1+1=5 and Other Unlikely Additions
How much is 1+1? Think the answer is 2? Not always, as this playful approach to addition proves! David LaRochelle takes children on a joyful mathematical journey that will engage their minds and teach them to think about numbers in a creative, outside-the-box way.
Brenda Sexton's wild and wacky illustrations add layers of witty fun to LaRochelle's clever game.
Brenda Sexton's wild and wacky illustrations add layers of witty fun to LaRochelle's clever game.
These wacky equations don't add up…or DO THEY?
1 goat + 1 unicorn = 3 horns!
1 set of triplets + 1 set of twins = 5 babies!
1 duet + 1 quartet = 6 musicians!
1 ant + 1 spider = 14 legs!
1 century + 1 decade = 110 years!
32 pages, Hardcover
First published September 7, 2010
73 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 94 reviews
December 12, 2018
These are so clever! I love math, and I got several ideas on how to read this to my neighborhood kids.
May 23, 2011
I like the divergent thinking here - 1 + 1 = 5 when 1 set of twins + 1 set of triplets = 5 babies. With each page turn, kids have to think about what 2 groups of some things could add up to a certain number. Most are pretty tough to guess: 1 duet + 1 quartet = 6 musicians. But it's a fun challenge for kids to then think of their own 1 + 1 groups. This could be fun to read with "One is a Snail, Ten is a Crab: a counting by Feet book" by April Pulley Sayre, Jeff Sayre, and Randy Cecil, or "This Plus That" by Amy Krouse Rosenthal and Jen Corace.
November 7, 2010
Didn't love it as much as others. I love the concept of finding ways when 1+1 is more than two, especially in grouping situations, but I think the illustrations are too busy for it to happen in a meaningful and understandable way in this book. Also, I think it would have worked better if there was a consistent theme throughout - like just focusing on feet. But I don't teach math to the little ones, so what do I know?
May 29, 2017
I found this book through #unitchat. It's fun for thinking about units, different quantities, and the question "How many?" I can see this prompting a lot of interesting conversations.
Each addition takes two pages. The first page poses the addition as a question, such as "1+1=3?" The second then provides an explanation, like "1 unicorn + 1 goat = 3 horns." Most of the explanations are guessable, even if they're difficult. However, there are a few for which the illustration on the first page hides the information necessary to make a guess (like the one that hides how many babies are in the crib). Those seemed far less useful/productive to me than the guessable ones.
There were also a couple of additions that I didn't like. 1 a.m. + 1 p.m. = 1 day was my least favorite, I think.
Each addition takes two pages. The first page poses the addition as a question, such as "1+1=3?" The second then provides an explanation, like "1 unicorn + 1 goat = 3 horns." Most of the explanations are guessable, even if they're difficult. However, there are a few for which the illustration on the first page hides the information necessary to make a guess (like the one that hides how many babies are in the crib). Those seemed far less useful/productive to me than the guessable ones.
There were also a couple of additions that I didn't like. 1 a.m. + 1 p.m. = 1 day was my least favorite, I think.
December 8, 2019
This book I found to be very fun and creative but for the sheer fact that I am very “strict” with many and need things to be a certain way and didn’t understand some of the operations being throughout the book I gave this a 4 instead of 5 stars. However, the attention to detail in each illustration when it came to the teams of hockey players and basketball players or when talking about twins and triplets I found very creative and very well done to easily show how the equation made sense. I would use this book with 3rd grade and up because it would cause for a good confusion of math within the classroom.
December 27, 2017
This book is all about the statement that Units Matter!
1+1 only equals 2 if they have the same units.
It's not really a counting book, but it is a way to get people thinking beyond the rote number sentences to see if things make sense.
1+1 only equals 2 if they have the same units.
It's not really a counting book, but it is a way to get people thinking beyond the rote number sentences to see if things make sense.
October 19, 2017
Clever!
June 5, 2019
Great math equations in here! It's a fun one to try to predict what will be on the next page...
July 5, 2019
As a math teacher, I love this thinking-outside-the-box kind of book. My favorite is 1+1=7. I'll give you a hint, it has to do with two shapes!😁
December 23, 2022
Adorable!
September 10, 2024
a great book but explaining of the problems should go along when reading aloud to children.
March 9, 2015
I thought that this book was a fun read however I couldn't help but think about how confusing it was. I understand it but i'm not sure at what age a teacher or parent would read this book to their children. I am going to guess third or fourth grade. For children who know their basic math factors enough to the point where they can read this book and still know that outside of the book 1+1=2. I did like how this book makes a person think and try to get them to think outside of the box. I think every teacher and parent should be finding different things that helps their children do this and this book could be great for some children. I also thought it was an all around cute book. The illustrations are nice and I liked the fact that they use something on the page to give the answer to that specific math equation. I think that this could be a great edition to an elementary school teachers bookshelf however it would ahve to developmentally appropriate for the children and the children should learn beforehand that in math class is you write this on the test 1+1=5 it is not correct.
April 25, 2018
Kids will love this wacky, creative, math/counting book. Even though my kids know the answers by heart now, they still enjoy the questions. Each right page has a “1+1″ question and illustration which give the reader a hint. When you flip the page you get the full context and picture, explaining the equation. My three year old likes to count on the answer page, whereas my 5 year old will read the answer.
I wouldn’t consider it a math book for teaching, but it is loads of fun. Some of the pages do introduce vocabulary such as quartet, century, and duet. The simple, colorful, and silly illustrations support the author’s game well. Check this book out, read it with your kid, and see what new wacky equations you can come up with.
Click here for the original review at Flowering Minds.
I wouldn’t consider it a math book for teaching, but it is loads of fun. Some of the pages do introduce vocabulary such as quartet, century, and duet. The simple, colorful, and silly illustrations support the author’s game well. Check this book out, read it with your kid, and see what new wacky equations you can come up with.
Click here for the original review at Flowering Minds.
November 13, 2014
This book frustrated me. While the idea was cute, it is not something I would want young students to read in the classroom. It seems to present the idea that anything can be added, regardless of what the things are. This is not true. Addition requires like terms, and when you add, the sum will be a number of the same things you added. When you add 3 apples and 5 oranges, you don't get 8 apple-oranges. Some would argue that you could change the unit to fruit, since apples and oranges are both fruit, but that requires an exchange. This book does not clearly define or show how exchanges are made, and I think it makes it confusing to kids what can and can't be added as well as what units you end up with when you add. Perhaps it would be a fun thinking activity for older students who already understand correct principles of addition, but I would still be skeptical.
March 11, 2015
This book is so much fun! I feel like most adults would get annoyed with it because it is teaching children the wrong answers for simple addition problems. However, I look at it as a chance for kids to be creative and use their minds in ways they wouldn't normally use them throughout the day. Most of the time I am entertained for long periods of time when I am doing something that challenges my brain and causes me to think outside the box. Sometimes, books like this are what get children to perform better or have better behavior, especially in a classroom setting, because they feel like they have control over their learning. This is the type of book where children can make guesses but they don't get judged or feel inadequate if they guess wrong. It gives them an opportunity to learn how to look at problems from all different viewpoints.
April 4, 2013
This book puts a fun twist on the equation of 1+1 which you would automatically assume the answer is 2. LaRochelle shows you how the answer isn't always necessarily just that, like adding one triangle plus one square= seven sides. Or adding one a.m. with one p.m. = one day. This is a witty and silly book, but it has educational value, forcing kids to think outside of the box. The answer to the equation is given, and then on the next page is provides you with the answer.
This book is appropriate for ages 5+
I think this would be fun to utilize in a classroom setting, reading it aloud to the class to have them guess what the unlikely addition might be, discussing it afterwards and then having kids come up with some of their own by drawing them out.
This book is appropriate for ages 5+
I think this would be fun to utilize in a classroom setting, reading it aloud to the class to have them guess what the unlikely addition might be, discussing it afterwards and then having kids come up with some of their own by drawing them out.
March 30, 2014
I really enjoyed this book but I don't think that it made a very good math book. That being said, it is an extremely clever idea and really causes the reader to think. The first couple problems are hardest because you're trying to think like they do but by the end, it's easier to understand. The illustrations in this book are essential to figuring out the problems. They are drawn in a style that lends itself well to what they are trying to accomplish. This is not a book that should be read with children that don't have a solid grasp of addition. I do think, however, that older children will love it. I know that I did.
December 4, 2011
I chose to give this one five stars because I am a great fan of wit, and this is a very witty book, indeed. I may be stretching this, but this book has a bit of math, science and music in it. I didn't say it incorporated much music but the book does teach us that duets have two members and quartets have four. It also shows us that ants have 6 legs, spiders have 8, octopus have 8 arms, starfish have 5, and that snakes and worms have neither arms nor legs. All the while exercising addition skills!
January 23, 2012
When does 1 + 1 not equal 2? You'll have to read this book to find out! It's a fun book to read together and with the question on one side and the answer on the back of the page, the book offers a great opportunity for children to practice making educated guesses. The illustrations are cartoonish and colorful and the critters really remind me of the website www.kneebouncers.com - a site our girls just loved to play on when they were itty bitty. We really enjoyed reading this book together.
March 9, 2015
I know this book gets a lot of bad rep but I thought it was challenging in a good way. I dislike math strongly. Addition isn't hard for my age but for young kids it can be. This book can be confusing with what it is asking but I like that it forces the reader to pay attention to detail and think outside of the box. Isn't that what learning is all about? I wouldn't read it to anyone below third grade because it would just get confusing but it could be fun to see students think their way through this.
October 6, 2011
This is a really fun book to really get students thinking critically about math. Students really have to think about different set of numbers in order to find the answer. This book would definitely be a challenge for sum but overall it is an excellent book to get the students mind going. 1+1=5....1set of triplets + 1 set of twins= 5 bodies. The author was very creative, and this would be a great opportunity for me to get my students thinking about different ways that they can make numbers.
April 25, 2012
This book has fantastic and eye-catching illustrations. The author does a great job of taking children on a mathematical journey. Teaching them to think about math in different ways and to think of numbers in various ways. It definitely makes you think and engages the reader. It would be a great book to use with a addition lesson with students. Teaching students various algorithms and ways of thinking of math problems will help them with their math skills further down the line.
April 23, 2012
Students will enjoy thinking about addition in nontraditional ways. It would be best to introduce this concept to students in the upper grade levels. Students could create their own number sentence riddles for the class and use illustrations to aid in comprehension of the number sentence. I believe students in kindergarten through second grade will struggle to understand this book because they are just learning how to use addition themselves.
November 18, 2014
I did not like this book. This book was very confusing for my classmates and I; if its confusing for college students then i'm confident it will be confusing for elementary age children. This book will confuse children who are learning mathematics. I guess the book is "creative" but i'm not sure what the author was trying to teach. The illustrations are cute and colorful but overall I did not particularly enjoy this book.
October 23, 2010
Out-of-the-Box thinking is in order here to solve these puzzles, but thanks to context clues in the illustrations, the 'math' isn't impossible to figure out.
Example: 1+1=1....
Illustration: sun and moon
Answer: 1 a.m. half-day + 1 p.m. half-day = 1 day
Teachers in Gifted program might get a little inspiration from this clever book.
Example: 1+1=1....
Illustration: sun and moon
Answer: 1 a.m. half-day + 1 p.m. half-day = 1 day
Teachers in Gifted program might get a little inspiration from this clever book.
November 18, 2010
This lively picture book asks kids to figure out how 1+1 can possibly equal 3... or 110... or 13. All of the answers are possible, and 2nd and 3rd graders who are comfortable with basic addition will quickly grasp that the clues are in the illustrations if they look hard enough. A fun way to help kids think beyond the obvious.
September 23, 2012
I wanted to like this more. I'm always up for looking at problems in a new way. If you read this with your kids and talk about the examples, then it can open up a discussion about thinking critically/creatively - so that's valuable. But this is just not the way my brain works. When it comes to algebra, I go for clarity. To me, this approach is confusing to young kids.
February 17, 2012
Even bilingual kindergartners understand that this math is all wrong, or is it? After a few pages, and a bit of explanation, the kids are telling you what the author is adding before you turn the page. Some pages are a bit more difficult than others, but just ask them to make up their own page, and you will see just how creative your kids can be!
April 4, 2012
I really liked this book because throughout it I tried to make predictions and it was really thought provoking and fun! I think this would be good for kids who already know their basic addition and want to use their imagination and think more about it! I would definitely not use this book with students starting to learn addition though in fear that they would get confused!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 94 reviews