Fiction Friday: Full House (An Invitation to Fractions)

I’ve had this book sitting on my desk ready to go for a while now. I knew it belonged in our collection since the moment I saw it and you’ll soon find out why.

(A copy of the book was provided courtesy of Candlewick Press for review. Affiliate link in post where a small commission may be earned for any purchases made at no cost to you.)

When you first saw the title, Full House: An Invitation to Fractions, did you cringe? I know that many people hear the words math or fractions and just steer clear. I was always in the minority. I LOVED math. Definitely my favorite subject growing up and I’m hoping my daughter will feel the same.

Even if you cringed at the title, I think you’ll agree that the artwork on the cover is fun and inviting…exactly what will encourage kids to read this wonderfully charming book, written by Dayle Ann Dodds and illustrated by Abby Carter.

Here’s the scoop: Miss Bloom runs the Strawberry Inn, a quaint place that has 6 rooms to fill. Miss Bloom hopes to fill all the rooms with guests for the evening, and one by one, she does. From Sea Captain Duffy to Duchess Boofaye, they fill up Strawberry Inn as children learn fractions along the way.

This is a rhyming story and is so charming and subtle with the way it introduces fractions, that children won’t even realize they are learning math. With each guest that arrives, the author proudly writes a similar verse:

“Now TWO rooms of SIX had guests for the night.
To fill up the inn would be pure delight!”

Personally I’d love to stay in a boutique hotel like the Strawberry Inn.  Miss Bloom really takes care of the guests and even makes dinner – chicken, potatoes au gratin, and … Strawberry Cake with Whipped Cream piled high!  And you probably already guessed, children will learn fractions as the pieces of cake are devoured!

This is the most creative educational book I’ve seen for what many think is a challenging subject.  I’m a firm believer that we should start kids young in learning math principles and make it FUN!

While aimed at kids ages 6-9 (grades 1-4), I read this to my daughter already at age 2.  For preschoolers, it’s a fun rhyming book with numbers.  What I love is that this book will be used for years to come and hopefully excite her about fractions.  That’s the goal – to make learning fun, and Full House: An Invitation to Fractions accomplishes just that.