School Library Journal Review
Gr 1-2Yum! Brilliantly colored jelly beans selling for a penny apiece provide the scheme for McMillan's wonderfully clever concept book about money. Beginning with monetary values and clear photos of pennies, nickles, dimes, and quarters, the book follows a happy group of kids across full-color pages as they buy those delectable treats. "1ø = 1 jelly bean" features one penny offered for one red candy and a child dressed in a red shirt eating the same. Even the photographed border is a closeup of jelly beans. The transactions become more involved with five pennies, one nickle, two nickles, one dime and so forth. Each double-page spread highlights different coins, different colored beans, and kids in coordinated shirts. More closely related to curriculum needs than Barbara Barbieri McGrath's The M & M's Counting Book (Charlesbridge, 1994) and more fun than Tana Hoban's 26 Letters and 99 Cents (Greenwillow, 1987), Jelly Beans adds up to a best buy. An excellent math concept book from an author/illustrator with an eye for color, children, and counting.Beth Tegart, Oneida City Schools, NY (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Horn Book Review
Brilliantly colorful, bold photographs present different coin combinations up to twenty-five cents with corresponding sets of jelly beans. Two nickels, for instance, are represented by the statement, '5ó + 5ó = 10 jelly beans,' and two hands, one with five blue jelly beans, one with five orange. Facing pages have infectiously happy pictures of children eating jelly beans. From HORN BOOK 1996, (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Booklist Review
Ages 4-8. McMillan adds another winner to his list of clever math concept books with this introduction to coin values and simple addition. Beginning with the equation "1 = of children using different coin combinations to purchase the candies from a neighborhood stand. Each transaction is depicted in a close-up photo of jelly beans and the coins needed to make the transaction. A math equation summing up the picture appears in a box below. The opposite page shows the customers, in clothing color coordinated to match the candy, enjoying their purchases. It is the combination of artful design, attention to detail, and gorgeous photography that makes the book stand out. Supplements of interest include information on how jelly beans are made and a toll-free number for teachers who would like to obtain a free classroom kit on the subject. (Reviewed Sept. 1, 1996)0590865846Lauren Peterson
