How Many Seeds in a Pumpkin? (Mr. Tiffin's Classroom Series)

Illustrated by G. Brian Karas
$5.99 US
RH Childrens Books | Random House Studio
On sale Sep 15, 2010 | 9780307556806
Age 3-7 years
Reading Level: Lexile 560L | Fountas & Pinnell M
Sales rights: World

Mr. Tiffin and his students explore skip counting and estimation in a fun pumpkin-themed classroom experiment! This book makes a wonderful read-aloud companion to any math or science curriculum, and it's a fun way to reinforce counting skills at home.

"How many seeds are in a pumpkin?" Mr. Tiffin asks his class as they gather around the big, medium, and small pumpkins on his desk. Robert, the biggest kid, guesses that the largest one has a million seeds; Elinor, sounding like she knows what she's talking about, guesses the medium one has 500 seeds; and Anna, who likes even numbers better than odd ones, guesses that the little one has 22. Charlie, the smallest boy in the class, doesn't have a guess.

Counting pumpkin seeds is messy business, but once the slimy job is done, to everyone's surprise, the smallest pumpkin has the most seeds! As Charlie happily exclaims, "Small things have a lot going on inside of them."

And don’t miss the newest addition to the Mr. Tiffin series, The Dinosaur Expert!

  • WINNER
    IRA Teachers' Choices
  • WINNER | 2007
    Christopher Award
  • NOMINEE
    Cooperative Children's Book Center Choices
  • NOMINEE
    Kentucky Bluegrass Award
Review, San Francisco Chronicle (circ: 329,989), September 30, 2007:
"There's quite a lot to learn about pumpkins in this book, which even a math-phobe can love, plus there's kids working together and having their minds opened once their assumptions are trounced. Karas' stylized illustrations capture the fun of an engaging, hands-on classroom project."
—Regan McMahon

About

Mr. Tiffin and his students explore skip counting and estimation in a fun pumpkin-themed classroom experiment! This book makes a wonderful read-aloud companion to any math or science curriculum, and it's a fun way to reinforce counting skills at home.

"How many seeds are in a pumpkin?" Mr. Tiffin asks his class as they gather around the big, medium, and small pumpkins on his desk. Robert, the biggest kid, guesses that the largest one has a million seeds; Elinor, sounding like she knows what she's talking about, guesses the medium one has 500 seeds; and Anna, who likes even numbers better than odd ones, guesses that the little one has 22. Charlie, the smallest boy in the class, doesn't have a guess.

Counting pumpkin seeds is messy business, but once the slimy job is done, to everyone's surprise, the smallest pumpkin has the most seeds! As Charlie happily exclaims, "Small things have a lot going on inside of them."

And don’t miss the newest addition to the Mr. Tiffin series, The Dinosaur Expert!

Awards

  • WINNER
    IRA Teachers' Choices
  • WINNER | 2007
    Christopher Award
  • NOMINEE
    Cooperative Children's Book Center Choices
  • NOMINEE
    Kentucky Bluegrass Award

Praise

Review, San Francisco Chronicle (circ: 329,989), September 30, 2007:
"There's quite a lot to learn about pumpkins in this book, which even a math-phobe can love, plus there's kids working together and having their minds opened once their assumptions are trounced. Karas' stylized illustrations capture the fun of an engaging, hands-on classroom project."
—Regan McMahon