aRHYTHMetic : A Book and a Half of Poetry About Math

Written by Tiffany Stone, Kari-Lynn Winters, Lori Sherritt-Fleming. Illustrated by Scot Ritchie. Followed by Hungry for Math (2015).

Ideal for home or classroom use, these rollicking rhymes explore basic concepts of arithmetic in new and engaging ways. Catch the mathematical beat with the title poem, “aRHYTHMetic.” Count by two’s with “Teacup Pups” and “Kitty Chat.”

Learn about ordinal numbers from a bison that loves being “Third in the Herd.” Discover “The Shape of Things” all around us. Roundup “Rot-TEN Dragons” into groups from ten to one hundred. And help “Princess Estimation” guess the number of spots on her new Dalmatian.

These seven math poems by Tiffany Stone, Kari-Lynn Winters and Lori Sherritt-Fleming, illustrated playfully in full colour by Scot Ritchie, are guaranteed to equal fun that will bounce you right out of your seat!

We have online videos of the first book launch, held April 2009 at Science World in Vancouver, featuring the Oscar-worthy stage performances of all three authors. Videos are 24 minutes long in QuickTime format. Download small movie (28MB) or large movie (124MB) (right-click “save as” to download to your computer), and see some photos of the launch on Lori’s website.

  • Reading level: ages 3-7

  • 42 pages

  • Poetry Anthology

  • Published By Gumboot Books, 2009

  • Published By Tickle Trunk, 2011

  • ISBN (paperback): 9780978435158

  • OCLC number 505510717

“Kittens plus puppies plus shapes to explore.
Add bison, a princess and dragons galore.
Seven math poems with a rhythmical beat
equal fun that will bounce you right out of your seat!”

— aRHYTHMetic: Kari-Lynn Winters

Reviews

  • "The opening selection, “aRHYTHMetic,” is a patterned chant that invites children to chime in. Pooches skip count by 2s in “Teacup Pups,” and cats also consume treats in increments of 2 in “Kitty Chat.” Cows explain the difference between first, second and third in “Third in the Herd.” Two-dimensional shapes are found everywhere in “The Shape of Things” – from a tiger’s “Triangle tooth” to a girl’s rhombus shaped kite. Groups of “Rot-TEN Dragons!” play hockey, juggle balls and ride on scooters in multiples of 10 up to 100. When “Princess Estimation” receives a Dalmatian pup for her birthday, she demonstrates her estimating skills."

    Review by Linda Ludke, in CM Magazine (Canadian Review of Materials), 27:16 (December 17, 2010), online at umanitoba.ca/outreach/cm.

  • "With a pencil, pen, computer or even a typewriter, children’s poets paint word pictures which often prompt us to think of ordinary people, places and things in surprising and refreshing ways. Tiffany Stone, Lori Sherritt-Fleming and Kari-Lynn Winters give arithmetic a rhyming and rhythmical makeover. Through the anthropomorphization of crocodiles, Robert Heidbreder removes a young child’s real-life fear of these creatures. Avis Harley discusses African wildlife in a new and markedly different format."

    Crocs, Acrostics and Math. Review by Carol-Ann Hoyte, in Canadian Children’s Book News 32:4 (Fall 2009), pp. 22-23

  • "Today I read your delightful book aRhythmetic to my Grade 1 students. You and your co-authors certainly know how to reach the minds of young chlildren in such a creative and fascinating way. Not only does this book entertain, but it teaches. At first, I thought the content would primarily focus on arithmetic; however, I am so pleased to see an emphasis, as well, on higher level vocabulary. I often teach a special spelling unit on words that have “-ation” as an ending. Fabulous! I can now use your book as a springboard to my lesson. You include such words as “estimation, celebration, Dalmatian, information, approximation, and nation.” These higher-level words are used in such imaginative ways! I also will use your book when introducing ordinal numbers, skip counting by tens, and multiplying and dividing by ten. Thank you for your collective energy, your creative minds, and your infectious enthusiasm for children, reading, and learning."

    Marlene McLaren, Teacher

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