This genuinely clever math book uses rhyming couplets and riddles, as well as visual cues to help the reader find new ways to group numbers for quick counting. It's a return to number sets, with none of those boring parentheses and signs. Here the rhyme gives a clue to the new ways of grouping numbers. For example: "Mama mia, pizza pie, / How many mushrooms do you spy? / Please don't count them, it's too slow, / This hot pie was made to go! / Let me give you some advice, / Just do half and count it twice." A quick look at the pizza, and the reader can see each slice has the same number of mushrooms. Count by threes for half the pie, and double it. Each rhyme is given a double-page spread. The extra-large, brightly colored images leap off the page but never distract from the author's intent. Some riddles are very challenging, but the author provides all the solutions in the back. Once the reader has seen the answers, the strategy is obvious and can be applied to other situations. Great fun for math enthusiasts and creative thinkers, this might also teach adults some new tricks. A winning addition. (Nonfiction. 7-10)

This clever collection of puzzles could spark the interest of even the mathematically challenged. The first-time collaborators serve up 16 math riddles, and team brisk verses ("Mama mia, pizza pie,/ How many mushrooms do you spy?") with bright computer-generated illustrations to teach problem-solving tricks and strategies. Each riddle offers a clue that nudges readers to look at the problem creatively the aforementioned "Large Pizza to Go!," for instance, hints, "Please don't count them, it's too slow,/ This hot pie was made to go!/ Let me give you some advice,/ Just do half and count it twice," while another riddle suggests, "Instead of seeing groups of threes,/ Count by fives and it's a breeze!" The simple, staccato rhymes and crisp lines of the artwork keep attention focused, while those who find themselves stumped can consult the "Answers" section at the back of the book, which offers an explanation of each problem and shows how to group objects together and look for patterns in order to speed up the calculation process. Whether counting fish, scallops, camel humps or ants at a picnic, this duo's enthusiasm for their subject matter is contagious. Ages 7-10. (Feb.)

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