CATastrophe!

A Story of Patterns

Illustrated by Jenn Harney
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Hardcover
$17.99 US
9.38"W x 9.31"H x 0.38"D  
On sale Aug 10, 2021 | 32 Pages | 978-1-63592-321-6
| Preschool - 3
Reading Level: Lexile AD460L | Fountas & Pinnell N
Nine kittens go on an exciting boating adventure that’s a (funny) catastrophe in this playful picture book that demonstrates the key math concept of patterns.
 

A crew of hungry kittens and their captain head to the lake to catch some dinner, but the fish have surprises in store for them. Even before the cats encounter the fish, they run into trouble. What happens when confused kitties paddle every which way? Or when they all lean in the same direction? A pattern is needed to avoid a catastrophe!
 
Patterns are the foundation on which math is built. Using strong rhythm, clever wordplay, and countable characters, CATastrophe! is a fun read-aloud that also shows what patterns can do. Helpful backmatter will deepen readers’ understanding and challenge them to find more patterns in this book and in our world. There’s also much to find in the illustrations—including a dragonfly and worm that each appear twenty times.
Ann Marie Stephens is the author of several picture books including Scuba Dog, Cy Makes a Friend, and forthcoming titles, Arithmechicks Add Up and Arithmechicks Take Away. She was an elementary teacher for more than 30 years. She was a contributing writer for Kwame Alexander’s The Write Thing, a co-writer for Trait Crate Plus for grades 3 and 5, and has had dozens of original ideas published in Instructor and The Mailbox magazines. When she isn’t writing or teaching, she’s off scuba diving somewhere tropical. Visit annmariestephensbooks.com. View titles by Ann Marie Stephens
Jenn Harney is the illustrator for CATastrophe!: A Story of Patterns, “Smelly” Kelly and His Super Senses: How James Kelly’s Nose Saved the New York City Subway, and Probably a Narwhal. She has worked as both an author and illustrator of children’s literature for over twenty years.She lives in Cleveland, Ohio. Visit her at jkharney.blogspot.com. View titles by Jenn Harney
"Stephens deftly incorporates the concepts of patterns and pattern cores into her simple tale and includes an enjoyable explanatory page at the close as well as integrated seek-and-find challenges. Harney’s bright, energy-filled cartoons are a great match and maintain a fine balance of cute, color, comedy…and cats. Playfulness makes repeated reads a must for fans of cats or calculation." —Kirkus Reviews

"A great read-aloud and a strong pick for early math collections." —Booklist

About

Nine kittens go on an exciting boating adventure that’s a (funny) catastrophe in this playful picture book that demonstrates the key math concept of patterns.
 

A crew of hungry kittens and their captain head to the lake to catch some dinner, but the fish have surprises in store for them. Even before the cats encounter the fish, they run into trouble. What happens when confused kitties paddle every which way? Or when they all lean in the same direction? A pattern is needed to avoid a catastrophe!
 
Patterns are the foundation on which math is built. Using strong rhythm, clever wordplay, and countable characters, CATastrophe! is a fun read-aloud that also shows what patterns can do. Helpful backmatter will deepen readers’ understanding and challenge them to find more patterns in this book and in our world. There’s also much to find in the illustrations—including a dragonfly and worm that each appear twenty times.

Author

Ann Marie Stephens is the author of several picture books including Scuba Dog, Cy Makes a Friend, and forthcoming titles, Arithmechicks Add Up and Arithmechicks Take Away. She was an elementary teacher for more than 30 years. She was a contributing writer for Kwame Alexander’s The Write Thing, a co-writer for Trait Crate Plus for grades 3 and 5, and has had dozens of original ideas published in Instructor and The Mailbox magazines. When she isn’t writing or teaching, she’s off scuba diving somewhere tropical. Visit annmariestephensbooks.com. View titles by Ann Marie Stephens
Jenn Harney is the illustrator for CATastrophe!: A Story of Patterns, “Smelly” Kelly and His Super Senses: How James Kelly’s Nose Saved the New York City Subway, and Probably a Narwhal. She has worked as both an author and illustrator of children’s literature for over twenty years.She lives in Cleveland, Ohio. Visit her at jkharney.blogspot.com. View titles by Jenn Harney

Praise

"Stephens deftly incorporates the concepts of patterns and pattern cores into her simple tale and includes an enjoyable explanatory page at the close as well as integrated seek-and-find challenges. Harney’s bright, energy-filled cartoons are a great match and maintain a fine balance of cute, color, comedy…and cats. Playfulness makes repeated reads a must for fans of cats or calculation." —Kirkus Reviews

"A great read-aloud and a strong pick for early math collections." —Booklist

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