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MathStart Level 2
Spunky Monkeys On Parade
In the Monkey Day Parade, monkey majorettes, cyclists, tumblers, and band members create a spectacle as they move along in groups of two, three, and four
32 pages, Library Binding
First published August 12, 1999
88 people want to read
About the author
Stuart J. Murphy
160 books60 followersPICTURES & WORDS, STORIES & BOOKS
MathStart http://www.mathstart.net
I See I Learn http://www.iseeilearn.com
I was one of those kids who talked all the time in class. I loved telling stories. One day in the 4th Grade, my teacher said, “You tell such good stories, maybe you should try writing some of them down.” “Wow,” I thought. “She thinks my stories are good.” That’s when I started to really enjoy writing.
I was also the class artist. When I wasn’t talking,I was drawing. When I was older, I studied art at the Rhode Island School
of Design. That’s where I became interested in visual learning—how we decode and acquire information from graphs, charts, diagrams, models, illustrations and other images.
I became especially interested in educational publishing and have worked on the development of over a dozen major textbook programs, championing visual learning strategies from Pre-K through high school in every major curriculum area.
MATHSTART
The inspiration to write math stories for children was sparked by my work on a high school mathematics program. Visual learning strategies helped teens—who had been characterized as “reluctant learners’—understand difficult math concepts. Putting math in the context of stories based on their experiences made them feel more comfortable with abstract concepts. They actually became eager to apply math to real-life problems.
If this approach worked for older students, I began to wonder what might happen if younger children were introduced to math this way!

Even before children can read—or speak many words—they can interpret visual information with ease. The MathStart books use simple stories coupled with diagrams, graphs and other visual models to teach everything from probability and pattern recognition to area, capacity and negative numbers.
The Best Bug Parade, (comparing sizes) was my very first published book. It was absolutely thrilling to see my name in print! I never expected that one day there would 63 MathStart books, split over three levels for ages Pre-K to Grade 4.
Each book includes two pages of review and activities designed to help teachers and parents extend learning beyond the story, along with suggestions of related books by other authors. After all, if a child enjoys learning math through stories, then let’s have more stories!
(Pictures, Words & Math: An interview with Stuart J. Murphy )
THE MAIN STREET KIDS' CLUB: A MATHSTART MUSICAL
Now get out your dancing shoes—there is a musical based on six of the MathStart books! The Main Street Kids’ Club was workshopped at Northwestern University and adapted by Scott Ferguson, who also created the perennially popular production of Schoolhouse Rock Live!
The songs are terrific. The math is spot on. And the club motto makes my heart sing: “Math Skills are Life Skills!”
STUART J. MURPHY'S I SEE I LEARN
My latest series of books is focused on young children—Preschool and Kindergarten age.
I See I Learn books teach social, emotional, health and safety, and cognitive skills, such as how to make friends, build confidence, play safely, work together, manage emotions, and make plans. These skills are important for school readiness and for living happy, healthy, productive lives.

The stories “star” a wonderful bunch of friends who live in See-and-Learn City and attend Ready Set Pre-K. The cast includes Freda, Percy, Emma, Ajay, Camille, and Carlos. And, of course, Pickle, the green bull dog—who happens to have a soft-spot for butterflies—and Miss Cathy, their teacher.
I See I Learn stories are modeled on real-life situations and, just as in real-life, often involve more than one skill. For example, Freda Plans a Picnic is about sequencing, a cognitive skill, but the picnic itself is a social event. Percy Plays It Safe focuses on playground safety skills, but playing successfully in a group also requires self-regulation, an emotional skill.
Each book is reviewed by a tea
MathStart http://www.mathstart.net
I See I Learn http://www.iseeilearn.com
I was one of those kids who talked all the time in class. I loved telling stories. One day in the 4th Grade, my teacher said, “You tell such good stories, maybe you should try writing some of them down.” “Wow,” I thought. “She thinks my stories are good.” That’s when I started to really enjoy writing.
I was also the class artist. When I wasn’t talking,I was drawing. When I was older, I studied art at the Rhode Island School
of Design. That’s where I became interested in visual learning—how we decode and acquire information from graphs, charts, diagrams, models, illustrations and other images.
I became especially interested in educational publishing and have worked on the development of over a dozen major textbook programs, championing visual learning strategies from Pre-K through high school in every major curriculum area.
MATHSTART
The inspiration to write math stories for children was sparked by my work on a high school mathematics program. Visual learning strategies helped teens—who had been characterized as “reluctant learners’—understand difficult math concepts. Putting math in the context of stories based on their experiences made them feel more comfortable with abstract concepts. They actually became eager to apply math to real-life problems.
If this approach worked for older students, I began to wonder what might happen if younger children were introduced to math this way!

Even before children can read—or speak many words—they can interpret visual information with ease. The MathStart books use simple stories coupled with diagrams, graphs and other visual models to teach everything from probability and pattern recognition to area, capacity and negative numbers.
The Best Bug Parade, (comparing sizes) was my very first published book. It was absolutely thrilling to see my name in print! I never expected that one day there would 63 MathStart books, split over three levels for ages Pre-K to Grade 4.
Each book includes two pages of review and activities designed to help teachers and parents extend learning beyond the story, along with suggestions of related books by other authors. After all, if a child enjoys learning math through stories, then let’s have more stories!
(Pictures, Words & Math: An interview with Stuart J. Murphy )
THE MAIN STREET KIDS' CLUB: A MATHSTART MUSICAL
Now get out your dancing shoes—there is a musical based on six of the MathStart books! The Main Street Kids’ Club was workshopped at Northwestern University and adapted by Scott Ferguson, who also created the perennially popular production of Schoolhouse Rock Live!
The songs are terrific. The math is spot on. And the club motto makes my heart sing: “Math Skills are Life Skills!”
STUART J. MURPHY'S I SEE I LEARN
My latest series of books is focused on young children—Preschool and Kindergarten age.
I See I Learn books teach social, emotional, health and safety, and cognitive skills, such as how to make friends, build confidence, play safely, work together, manage emotions, and make plans. These skills are important for school readiness and for living happy, healthy, productive lives.

The stories “star” a wonderful bunch of friends who live in See-and-Learn City and attend Ready Set Pre-K. The cast includes Freda, Percy, Emma, Ajay, Camille, and Carlos. And, of course, Pickle, the green bull dog—who happens to have a soft-spot for butterflies—and Miss Cathy, their teacher.
I See I Learn stories are modeled on real-life situations and, just as in real-life, often involve more than one skill. For example, Freda Plans a Picnic is about sequencing, a cognitive skill, but the picnic itself is a social event. Percy Plays It Safe focuses on playground safety skills, but playing successfully in a group also requires self-regulation, an emotional skill.
Each book is reviewed by a tea
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
August 12, 2025
A monkey parade with different groups of performers going by in groups of 2s, 3s, and 4s provide readers a chance to practice counting by these groupings.
I’ve seen books that have kids count by 2s or 5s or 10s, but very few that do the 3s or 4s. This definitely stands out for that aspect. The illustrations make the monkey parade entertaining and the book engaging. Little monkey lovers will likely want to read this over and over for all the monkeys.
I’ve seen books that have kids count by 2s or 5s or 10s, but very few that do the 3s or 4s. This definitely stands out for that aspect. The illustrations make the monkey parade entertaining and the book engaging. Little monkey lovers will likely want to read this over and over for all the monkeys.
February 20, 2021
Skip counting by 2s, 3s, and 4s as a parade of animals marches by.
August 20, 2008
This book very lightly touches on skip counting, by 2s, 3s and 4s. Read in and of itself it's slightly entertaining. Used as a jumping off point it's much more.
My two littlest guys liked it for the pictures. The two older ones liked being able to skip count and we practiced doing it outside of the book. One said, "that's a GOOD book." I love math books that make them smile.
Fairly elementary stuff though - probably best used in first or second grade.
My two littlest guys liked it for the pictures. The two older ones liked being able to skip count and we practiced doing it outside of the book. One said, "that's a GOOD book." I love math books that make them smile.
Fairly elementary stuff though - probably best used in first or second grade.
March 17, 2015
The title of this book clearly describes the content. It is about a group of monkeys in the circus and each page has a new talent portrayed. The colors are bright and vibrant. I enjoyed looking at the pictures while doing the counting. It doesn't count up by 1 like the typical counting book. It skips numbers so at first the reader counts by 2's then 3's and so on. It is a great way to either review skip counting or start learning it. I really liked this book and would recommend using it.
February 27, 2012
The book Spunky Monkeys on Parade by Stuart J. Murphy introduces students to the concept of multiplication. The book includes the concept of counting by twos. The book can also be used to introduce students to the concept on celebration and marching. This book can be used in first to fifth grade classrooms.
February 19, 2013
This book is filled with bright pictures for students to use so that they can have guidance for counting by 2s, 3s, and 4s. This book is about a parade of monkeys that have instruments, objects, and the abilities to do flips and jumps. This book has many diagrams that can help students to visualize the way people can count and add numbers in patterns. I would use this book in 2nd or 3rd grade.
March 18, 2015
I really enjoyed this book mainly because of how interactive it was with the readers. I enjoyed the creativeness of the story but I can still see this story being a benefit to those I teach. It helps readers recognize pattern and counting by numbers. I thought this would be a great teaching tool, especially for just introducing students to this specific style of counting and numbering.
November 5, 2010
In this book the monkeys are having a parade but they are getting added on and thye are skip counting.
So use this when teaching how to skip count.
1st-3rd grade
They skip count by 2's 3's and 4's.
So use this when teaching how to skip count.
1st-3rd grade
They skip count by 2's 3's and 4's.
November 30, 2012
Skip counting yay. I don't think I had a book like this when I was a kid. This book will be great for students learn skip count when counting by 2s, 3s, and 4s. The students can compare to see if skip counting or rote counting is faster.
April 8, 2013
* K-2nd
* Great introduction to skip counting for K-1st graders. Great introduction to repeated addition and beginning multiplication concepts for 2nd graders. Skip count the monkeys in the parade by twos, threes and fours.
* Great introduction to skip counting for K-1st graders. Great introduction to repeated addition and beginning multiplication concepts for 2nd graders. Skip count the monkeys in the parade by twos, threes and fours.
March 15, 2013
Here comes the monkey parade! In this book, students can practice counting by 2's, 3's, and 4's. it can be used in first or second grade. There are tips and activities teachers and parents can use in the back of the book.
July 16, 2008
Skip-counting. It was eh.
April 6, 2009
Good beginning math start book. Counting in groups.
September 22, 2011
this book is great for counting by 2,3 and 4. it is also a great book for rhyme. it shows how words that are spelled alike rhyme as well as those spelled differently.
April 3, 2012
Did not notice it was for counting! I felt involved enough even without the math - a cute little illustration of the characters in a parade walking by, with an ending to make you smile.
May 7, 2014
Great intro and reinforcement book for skip counting!
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December 8, 2015All by herself!
October 15, 2016
A fun skip counting book for elementary years.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews