Arithmechicks Add Up: A Math Story

by Ann Marie Stephens, Jia Liu (Illustrator)

This exuberant picture book demonstrates key math concepts to children as ten math-loving chicks make a new friend.

As the Arithmechicks slide down the slide, swing on the swings, and play hide-and-seek, they don't realize that a lonely mouse is copying them, longing to join in. However, when their basketball becomes stuck, the chicks discover that a two-inch-tall new friend is exactly what they need. In this heartwarming story, there are many ways to add up ten cheerful chicks--but a new friend is what makes them cheer. The book includes a helpful glossary that defines the eight arithmetic strategies the chicks use throughout the story, providing a playful introduction to essential math for young children and their caregivers.

Genres: Picture Books, Mathematics, Animals, Counting, Childrens, Friendship, Number

32 pages, Hardcover

Published August 13, 2019

About the author

Ann Marie Stephens is the author of numerous picture books including the ARITHMECHICKS series, the CATastrophe! series, SO MANY BOOKS, and more. She is a retired, award-winning elementary teacher with over 30 years in the classroom. Ann Marie’s poetry and literacy work has been featured in Bon Appetit Magazine and on NPR. She is represented by Emily Mitchell at Wernick & Pratt Agency. Visit her at www.annmariestephensbooks.com

Reviews

[Jana · Rating 4 out of 5]

This adorable picture book uses bright, colorful illustrations and a sweet story about playing together and inclusion to help young children practice counting and addition skills. Ten little chicks head to the playground and group together in a variety of ways to have a good time. Along the way they make a new friend to play with. This would definitely be fun to have on a primary grade bookshelf for kiddos to learn these skills independently. This could also be a terrific mentor text for kids that want to write their own math story problems.

[Jenna Grodzicki · Rating 5 out of 5]

10 cute chicks spend the day playing at the park while practicing their addition skills. But when a basketball gets stuck in the net, it takes the help of an additional friend to get it down. Young readers will love following along with the chicks as they run, swing, slide, and climb. The illustrations are adorable and complement the text perfectly. A must have for any elementary classroom.

[Jason · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute and educational. And while it's long for a storytime picture book, my weekly all-ages storytime sat through the whole thing! We counted together a lot, which helped.

[Vivian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid counting book to ten. I really liked how they incorporated different ways to show the numbers (tally marks, ten frame, number line, etc.). The book would have been much stronger if they had shown that more explicitly in the corner of each 2-page spread. Instead, they summarized them with a note at the end.

[Rebecca Gomez · Rating 4 out of 5]

A cute story that teaches addition in a fun way, with the bonus of adding a new friend to the group!

[Stacy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This cute story is about a group of chicks that go to the park. As they play, they use creative new ways to group themselves and add up the sum. There is a tiny, lonely mouse in the background of each page watching them as they play. You also notice that as the chicks group themselves, they have one leader that is taking notes. On his notepad, he is displaying a different math method for adding sums. For example, tally marks, ten frame, number bonds, etc. At the end of the story, the little mouse is just the friend they need because they are two inches short of reaching the basketball hoop. The book changes orientation and spreads from both pages to display all the chicks stepping on each other and the mouse climbs up to make the final stretch to reach. They added all day AND made a new friend.

At the back of the book, the author has included a list of the methods, with pictures, and instruction on how to explain them to your students.

This book would be incredible in a younger classroom for many reasons. It is something they can relate to (going to the park), there is a mysterious mouse in the back of the illustrations for them to find on every page, and it teaches many modern methods to addition. This would be a great intro to a new math unit!

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Both girls adored this, and we read at least 6 times while checked out from library. This hit two different learning levels well. This was clever, demonstrating a different addition strategy on each spread. Z identified the ones she knew. The strategies are explained at the end, which is great for adults reading with children.

My beginning counter, V, delighted in locating the mouse in each spread, as well as counting the chickens on each spread to see that they matched the number (solution to math problem). Potential purchase for our home. Highly recommended (I rated it, and I stopped doing ratings!).

[Michelle Schaub · Rating 5 out of 5]

Arithemchicks Add Up is more than just another counting book. While ten active chicks play in the park, Ann Marie Stephens demonstrates 8 different strategies for summing up numbers. What a superb way to reinforce math skills! The side story of a lonely mouse looking for friends adds another subtle lesson: including those who are different can add up to more fun. Jia Liu’s illustrations of the chicks are adorable. Teachers and parents will definitely want to add these fluffy little counting critters to their picture book libraries.

[Chana Stiefel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book had me at its title! Young readers will enjoy this lovely counting book so much they may not even realize that they are applying various strategies to learn addition. They’ll also enjoy spotting the lonely mouse who watches as the arithmechicks have a field day on the playground. In the backmatter, author and teacher Ann Marie Stephens explains the various methods of making addition fun for kids. Illustrator Jia Liu’s playful drawings and textures add to the arithmechicks’ fun day at the park.

[Jessie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love all the different representations of addition here, though they're pretty subtle in the book (all in the illustrations, not explicitly in the story). And the endnotes have explanations of all of them, which is nice!

Adding up different combinations of numbers from 4 to 10, along with some counting to 10. All in numerals, not number words.

The story of the chicks playing, with the one shy mouse looking on until they can be helpful with a stuck basketball, is cute, and finding the mouse on each page is fun.

[Jodi McKay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a clever, fun way to introduce math concepts! 10 little chicks go out to play and bring their math skills with them. While it's a great tool for a math lesson, it also includes a series of fun prepositions making it an all around perfect book for teachers. Kids will love the way the chicks play as well as the refrain about the lonely little mouse and will be left with a satisfying sense of teamwork and inclusion. Loved it!

[Andria Rosenbaum · Rating 5 out of 5]

This adorable picture book is a great introduction to simple math.
Ten chicks go out to have a fun day in the park & find multiple ways of adding themselves up as they play. But when they go to play basketball, only a new friend can provide them with the perfect solution. The lovely, whimsical illustrations will keep kids involved as they search for the lonely, little mouse. This book will ADD up to lots of fun & repeat read-a- louds!

[Juliana Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ten little chicks go to the park with their mother. A lonely mouse watches as they play. Each scene is an addition fact. For example, 3 chicks high plus 6 chicks low equals... 9 chicks swooshing on swings.
The mouse must be too shy to join in or waiting for an invitation. But when the basketball gets stuck and all ten chicks are just two inches short of reaching it, the lonely mouse climbs up ten fuzzy backs and drops the ball through the hoop. Score! Now the chicks have a new friend.

[Roben · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such cute chicks! They are headed to the playground to play. Not only do readers practice their counting and addition, they are also introduced to some opposites such as heavy and light. Which do you think is heavier on the teeter totter? Three chicks or two? Depends on the chicks. Kids will also enjoy searching for the lonely mouse that really wants to join in the fun. Fortunately, their patience is rewarded!

[Ariel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This adorable picture book adds the concept of a counting book with a story of new friendship. Kids will enjoy all the different mathematical combinations of chicks having fun in the park, while keeping their eyes out to spot the mouse on each page. I love the ending where adding one more ends up with the chicks and mouse becoming friends. A wonderful new STEM book!

[Melissa Stoller · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an absolutely adorable book! Ten sweet chicks head to the park for some fun and along the way they encounter lots of counting and adding . . . while at the same time a lonely mouse waits for the best time to make some new friends. The illustrations beautiful complement the text. Perfect for home, classrooms, and libraries, this book is a winner!

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lively early math concept picture book about 10 chicks and one lonely mouse playing in a park. The energetic chicks break up into different groups with one chick adding up the numbers and one lonely mouse watching. A fun opportunity to reinforce basic addition skills with a happy conclusion for the little mouse.

[Elisia Hood · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book for young children learning to count to ten. It adds up different numbers throughout the book and gives the answer too! The back of the book includes a glossary with different forms of counting so that children and students can pick what works best for them. I want to use this in my classroom someday!

[Alyssa Gudenburr · Rating 5 out of 5]

An AWESOME book about all the different ways you can add. This would make a great read aloud for an elementary math lesson. Methods include: number bond, ten frame, tally marks, fingers, decompose, number line, equation, and count on.

[Gretchen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A clever twist on a lively counting book that adds up to friendship! This book is loaded with concepts and will stand up to multiple reads. It is sure to delight young children with its darling illustrations of chicks having a great time playing familiar games at a playground.

[Molly Cluff (Library!) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really colorful and cute, and a nice math book for practicing adding different groups of numbers rather than just counting (3 chicks plus 4 chicks, 1 chick plus 5 chicks, 5 chicks plus five chicks), etc.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

An incredibly fun story that allows children to practice a myriad of skills depending on their age and maturity. Everything from counting to addition...and a great way to introduce different methods of doing each. I loved this!

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This teaches basic addition in multiple ways. It also teaches opposites such as over/under, high/low. You have to recognize that one, as it isn't given as a learning technique. The back page also has different ways to learn math such as an equation, a number bond, tally marks and more.

[The Library Lady · Rating 3 out of 5]

Written by a teacher, this is "A Math Story," noted right in the subtitle and with end notes. But, as a little friend of mine once said to his over schooling parent, you CAN just read the book, and it is a fun story, AND the art is terrific.

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Love the title and the message of making a friend, but the line about the lonely mouse on every page got a little old. I'm sure it's fun for little listeners to find the mouse on every page, but the text could have been changed up a bit or skipped on a page or two.

[Tracey Kyle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an ARC of this book at the ALA conference this weekend, and it's adorable. Math + friendship + the upbeat, cooperative chicks add up to an awesome book that will keep little kids entertained in and out of math class.

[Laurie Wallmark · Rating 5 out of 5]

These Arithmechicks have fun with math and so will young readers.

[Sarah Threlkeld · Rating 2 out of 5]

I like the idea, but the text was tricky to understand in my head, so I imagine reading it out loud would be awkward.

[Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book was fine. It's a book about counting, and I'd say it's just average.

[Danica Midlil · Rating 4 out of 5]

wonderful array of mathematical visual depictions.