ALL THE LITTLE ONES AND A HALF!
Author: Mary Murphy
Illustrator: Mary Murphy
|
Number of pages: 43
Publisher: Flying Foxes (UK) First published in: 2001 Format: Picturebook Is the mathematical focus explicit in the story? Yes Is this story part of a mathematics story series? No Preview and/or purchase this book on the Amazon websites: UK, USA, AUS, CAN Synopsis by the author/publisher
All the little Ones - and a Half - (the little Ones often forget Half because she is so small) live a peaceful life. They have never seen a big number - big numbers are scary. One day a big bad Hundred comes along and threatens to take over the little Ones' house. Half has a plan - all the numbers must stand together and be counted. If they add up to a hundred, they will be as big as the Hundred and they can stand up to him. Five counts up all the numbers by filling in the correct number of squares for each number on a chart with a hundred squares. He nearly forgets to count Half. But Half makes all the difference; with her, the numbers add up to a hundred and a half - too big for Hundred to fight. |
“"Ahem," said Half. "I have half an idea. We'll go to the wood and bring back lots of numbers. So many that all together we will be bigger than a Hundred!" "Yes!" cried all the little Ones. "Let's go!"”
Official review by MathsThroughStories.org:
Mary Murphy’s (2001) ‘All The Little Ones and a Half’ is a story about all the Little Ones and a Half who have lived happily, alongside the Little Twos, Threes, Fours and Fives, until they are chased away from their homes by a big bad Hundred. Half (who is often forgotten by her peers because of her small size) comes up with an ingenious idea to stand up to Hundred, that is for everyone to join together and be counted. To their despair, it soon becomes apparent that they are not bigger and stronger than Hundred – they are just the same size as the bullying Hundred. It is only when Half reminds everyone that she should be counted too that they realize that they are now bigger and stronger than Hundred … by a half! Together, they are able to successfully stand up to and chase away the big bad Hundred. This story is perfect for introducing the concepts of place value, number comparison and fractions. Page illustrations are very visually pleasing, and the ones showing a Half in relation to her peers (Ones, Twos, Threes, etc.) are also incredibly useful to help young readers visually see what a half is like compared to the other numbers. Mathematics asides, the story also has a great message about inclusion and team work, not to mention a great female protagonist! All in all, ‘All The Little Ones and a Half’ is a perfect story for children aged 6+ years old to learn about place value, number comparison and fractions in a really fun and engaging way! Highly recommended!
Recommended age range:
6 years old +
Relevant mathematics topics:
Fraction; Place value
Possible teaching activities:
At MathsThroughStories.org, we believe that stories can be meaningfully incorporated in mathematics teaching in different ways. Thus, we are inviting you to share your experience of how you have used this story in your mathematics lesson with other members of the community. By sharing your experience with us, you will be added to our team of On-line Contributors here, where you can also find our submission guideline.
Mary Murphy’s (2001) ‘All The Little Ones and a Half’ is a story about all the Little Ones and a Half who have lived happily, alongside the Little Twos, Threes, Fours and Fives, until they are chased away from their homes by a big bad Hundred. Half (who is often forgotten by her peers because of her small size) comes up with an ingenious idea to stand up to Hundred, that is for everyone to join together and be counted. To their despair, it soon becomes apparent that they are not bigger and stronger than Hundred – they are just the same size as the bullying Hundred. It is only when Half reminds everyone that she should be counted too that they realize that they are now bigger and stronger than Hundred … by a half! Together, they are able to successfully stand up to and chase away the big bad Hundred. This story is perfect for introducing the concepts of place value, number comparison and fractions. Page illustrations are very visually pleasing, and the ones showing a Half in relation to her peers (Ones, Twos, Threes, etc.) are also incredibly useful to help young readers visually see what a half is like compared to the other numbers. Mathematics asides, the story also has a great message about inclusion and team work, not to mention a great female protagonist! All in all, ‘All The Little Ones and a Half’ is a perfect story for children aged 6+ years old to learn about place value, number comparison and fractions in a really fun and engaging way! Highly recommended!
Recommended age range:
6 years old +
Relevant mathematics topics:
Fraction; Place value
Possible teaching activities:
At MathsThroughStories.org, we believe that stories can be meaningfully incorporated in mathematics teaching in different ways. Thus, we are inviting you to share your experience of how you have used this story in your mathematics lesson with other members of the community. By sharing your experience with us, you will be added to our team of On-line Contributors here, where you can also find our submission guideline.
