{"id":1780084609,"title":"Sir Cumference and the Off-the-Charts Dessert","handle":"sir-cumference-and-the-off-the-charts-dessert","description":"\u003c!-- - - - - - - - ENTER AUTHOR\/ILLUSTRATOR INFO BELOW - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBy: \u003ca title=\"Cindy Neuschwander\" href=\"http:\/\/charlesbridge.myshopify.com\/pages\/cindy-neuschwander\"\u003eCindy Neuschwander\u003c\/a\u003e \/ Illustrated by: \u003ca title=\"Illustrator Wayne Geehan\" href=\"http:\/\/charlesbridge.myshopify.com\/pages\/wayne-geehan\"\u003eWayne Geehan\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - ENTER HEADING BELOW - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eThe yummiest way to learn about charts and graphs.\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - ENTER DESCRIPTION BELOW - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis eighth book in the popular Sir Cumference series introduces readers to different methods of collecting data.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSir Cumference and Lady Di of Ameter are in a pickle. The castle cook is sick and the Harvest Faire is coming up—who will make the special dessert for this annual event? Two bakers in town, Pia of Chartres and Bart Graf, are up to the task. But after sampling Pia’s delicious pies and Bart’s scrumptious cookies, Sir Cumference and Lady Di just can’t choose! They come up with a solution: hold a contest and let the townspeople choose the dessert to be served at the faire.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhen Pia and Bart’s methods of tracking their votes fail, they each realize they need to come up with a better system. Pia places a colored candy around the edges of a pie dough and Bart stacks his cookie molds—each color candy or mold shape represents a different kind of pie or cookie. Thus, the pie chart and bar graph are born! But when the contest ends in a tie, Pia and Bart concoct a hybrid recipe that everyone enjoys.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - - - - ENTER RECOMMENDATIONS BELOW - - - - - - - -- - - --\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"recommended-books\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIf you like this book, you’ll enjoy these:\u003cbr\u003e\u003ca title=\"The Sir Cumference Math Adventure series\" href=\"http:\/\/charlesbridge.myshopify.com\/collections\/sir-cumference-math-adventures\"\u003eThe Sir Cumference Math Adventure series\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - - - - START OF TABS - - - - - - - -- - - --\u003e [TABS]\n\u003ch5\u003eLook Inside\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg class=\"cvr-border-gray\" style=\"display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0750\/0101\/files\/sir-cumference-off-the-charts-spread.jpg?17346766377963099232\"\u003e\u003c!-- Please call pinit.js only once per page --\u003e \u003cscript src=\"\/\/assets.pinterest.com\/js\/pinit.js\" data-pin-hover=\"true\" data-pin-height=\"32\" data-pin-shape=\"round\" defer async=\"\" type=\"text\/javascript\"\u003e\u003c\/script\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - - - - ENTER AUTHOR BIO BELOW - - - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eAuthor \u0026amp; Illustrator\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCindy Neuschwander, author\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCindy Neuschwander is a native Californian, but she has lived in many places, including Germany, England, Austria, and Hawaii. As a mathematics education specialist, Cindy sought ways to make math fun, interesting, and comprehensible to her students. In 1992, while living in England, Cindy began working on her first book with this goal in mind.\u003ci\u003eSir Cumference and the First Round Table\u003c\/i\u003e took five years to reach publication, but it remains a very popular book for its presentation of math concepts as well as for its amusing and exciting story. It has been followed by further adventures of Sir Cumference and his family. In her spare time, when she isn't writing or dreaming up new math adventures, Cindy enjoys activities with her family.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca title=\"Author Cindy Neuschwander\" href=\"http:\/\/charlesbridge.myshopify.com\/pages\/cindy-neuschwander\"\u003eRead more\u003c\/a\u003e about Cindy.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - ENTER ILLUSTRATOR BIO BELOW - - - - - - - - - - - --\u003e \u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWayne Geehan, illustrator\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWayne Geehan, a graduate of the Art Institute of Boston, has been illustrating books, board games, and jigsaw puzzles for over 20 years. When he isn't painting in his Massachusetts studio, he enjoys being with his family, reading, and researching his family's genealogy.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca title=\"Illustrator Wayne Geehan\" href=\"http:\/\/charlesbridge.myshopify.com\/pages\/wayne-geehan\"\u003eRead more \u003c\/a\u003eabout Wayne.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - ENTER AWARDS \u0026 HONORS BELOW - - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eAwards \u0026amp; Honors\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAAAS's Science Books \u0026amp; Films Best List\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - - ENTER REVIEWS BELOW - - - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eEditorial Reviews\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eReading Today Online\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis humorous story offers one explanation for the origin of pie charts and bar graphs while serving up some possible mathematical or culinary career choices for youngsters. Two talented bakers compete for the honor of preparing the Harvest Sweet for an annual celebration. In order to determine the popular favorites as the townspeople taste their wares, both bakers keep tallies, one marked with lines in flour on a table and the other with pinches of dough. But their records are ruined by their cat and dog that respectively dash through the flour and gobble up the dough. Still, they need some way to record their patrons’ favorite choices and eventually come up with their own strategies that will be animal-proof. The male baker stacks cookie molds, one for each different type of cookie preferred by his customers, while the female baker arranges different colors of candies around a circular, pie shape to record the results. Thus, the results will be visual, and easy to understand. The story will hold readers' attention while the acrylic paint illustrations fit the story well. The relish with which the townsfolk and the animals savor the desserts is palpable. Math has never been so sweet.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTeaching Children Mathematics, NCTM\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eSir Cumference and the Off-the-Charts Dessert\u003c\/i\u003e is one of eight books in Neuschwander’s series of mathematical adventures. This time, the medieval-style characters are embroiled in a bake-off of statistical proportions to determine this year’s Harvest Treat for the upcoming Harvest Faire. Pia from Chartres offers the best pies in town, and Bart Graf makes an assortment of cookies, but how to determine a winner? Ultimately, the pie graph and bar graph that are constructed, showing favorites among the pies and cookies respectively, make the selection obvious. Geared for grades 4–6, most of Neuschwander’s previous books help introduce and reinforce geometry concepts. In this book, she does the same for data analysis. Filled with delicious puns, the text is engaging and accurate; Geehan’s detailed illustrations enhance the mathematical information presented and promote a sense of fun. Fourth graders will think they themselves are unlocking the secret to the puns of “Pia from Chartres” and “Lady Di of Ameter,” whereas older students will simply groan. In either case, the mathematical concepts will most likely be remembered.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - - - ENTER DOWNLOADABLES BELOW - - - - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eDownloadables\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0750\/0101\/files\/sir-cumference-off-the-charts-cvr.jpg?3626165307634417616\" style=\"display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"btn-wrapper\"\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0750\/0101\/files\/sir-cumference-off-the-charts-hires.zip?3626165307634417616\" class=\"product-btn\"\u003eDownload the Cover\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - - - - ENTER DETAILS BELOW - - - - - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eDetails\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003ePaperback\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eISBN: 978-1-57091-199-6\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e E-book PDF\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eISBN: 978-1-60734-613-5\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAges: 8-12\u003cbr\u003ePage count: 32\u003cbr\u003e8 \u003csup\u003e1\u003c\/sup\u003e\/\u003csub\u003e2\u003c\/sub\u003e x 9 \u003csup\u003e1\u003c\/sup\u003e\/\u003csub\u003e2\u003c\/sub\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n[\/TABS]","published_at":"2015-04-06T20:57:00-04:00","created_at":"2015-08-07T13:45:07-04:00","vendor":"Charlesbridge","type":"Children's Book","tags":["Browse by Age_Ages 6-10","Browse by Fiction\/Nonfiction_Fiction","Browse by Format_Picture Book","Browse by Language_English","Browse by Subject_Math \u0026 Counting"],"price":799,"price_min":799,"price_max":799,"available":true,"price_varies":false,"compare_at_price":null,"compare_at_price_min":0,"compare_at_price_max":0,"compare_at_price_varies":false,"variants":[{"id":5413976449,"title":"Paperback","option1":"Paperback","option2":null,"option3":null,"sku":"11996","requires_shipping":true,"taxable":false,"featured_image":null,"available":true,"name":"Sir Cumference and the Off-the-Charts Dessert - Paperback","public_title":"Paperback","options":["Paperback"],"price":799,"weight":159,"compare_at_price":null,"inventory_quantity":14,"inventory_management":"shopify","inventory_policy":"continue","barcode":"978-1-57091-199-6","requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_allocations":[]}],"images":["\/\/imaginebooks.net\/cdn\/shop\/products\/sir-cumference-off-the-charts-cover.jpg?v=1586802791"],"featured_image":"\/\/imaginebooks.net\/cdn\/shop\/products\/sir-cumference-off-the-charts-cover.jpg?v=1586802791","options":["Title"],"media":[{"alt":"Sir Cumference and the Off-the-Charts Dessert book cover","id":2482261196879,"position":1,"preview_image":{"aspect_ratio":0.896,"height":670,"width":600,"src":"\/\/imaginebooks.net\/cdn\/shop\/products\/sir-cumference-off-the-charts-cover.jpg?v=1586802791"},"aspect_ratio":0.896,"height":670,"media_type":"image","src":"\/\/imaginebooks.net\/cdn\/shop\/products\/sir-cumference-off-the-charts-cover.jpg?v=1586802791","width":600}],"requires_selling_plan":false,"selling_plan_groups":[],"content":"\u003c!-- - - - - - - - ENTER AUTHOR\/ILLUSTRATOR INFO BELOW - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBy: \u003ca title=\"Cindy Neuschwander\" href=\"http:\/\/charlesbridge.myshopify.com\/pages\/cindy-neuschwander\"\u003eCindy Neuschwander\u003c\/a\u003e \/ Illustrated by: \u003ca title=\"Illustrator Wayne Geehan\" href=\"http:\/\/charlesbridge.myshopify.com\/pages\/wayne-geehan\"\u003eWayne Geehan\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - ENTER HEADING BELOW - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eThe yummiest way to learn about charts and graphs.\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - ENTER DESCRIPTION BELOW - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis eighth book in the popular Sir Cumference series introduces readers to different methods of collecting data.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSir Cumference and Lady Di of Ameter are in a pickle. The castle cook is sick and the Harvest Faire is coming up—who will make the special dessert for this annual event? Two bakers in town, Pia of Chartres and Bart Graf, are up to the task. But after sampling Pia’s delicious pies and Bart’s scrumptious cookies, Sir Cumference and Lady Di just can’t choose! They come up with a solution: hold a contest and let the townspeople choose the dessert to be served at the faire.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhen Pia and Bart’s methods of tracking their votes fail, they each realize they need to come up with a better system. Pia places a colored candy around the edges of a pie dough and Bart stacks his cookie molds—each color candy or mold shape represents a different kind of pie or cookie. Thus, the pie chart and bar graph are born! But when the contest ends in a tie, Pia and Bart concoct a hybrid recipe that everyone enjoys.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - - - - ENTER RECOMMENDATIONS BELOW - - - - - - - -- - - --\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"recommended-books\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIf you like this book, you’ll enjoy these:\u003cbr\u003e\u003ca title=\"The Sir Cumference Math Adventure series\" href=\"http:\/\/charlesbridge.myshopify.com\/collections\/sir-cumference-math-adventures\"\u003eThe Sir Cumference Math Adventure series\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - - - - START OF TABS - - - - - - - -- - - --\u003e [TABS]\n\u003ch5\u003eLook Inside\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg class=\"cvr-border-gray\" style=\"display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0750\/0101\/files\/sir-cumference-off-the-charts-spread.jpg?17346766377963099232\"\u003e\u003c!-- Please call pinit.js only once per page --\u003e \u003cscript src=\"\/\/assets.pinterest.com\/js\/pinit.js\" data-pin-hover=\"true\" data-pin-height=\"32\" data-pin-shape=\"round\" defer async=\"\" type=\"text\/javascript\"\u003e\u003c\/script\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - - - - ENTER AUTHOR BIO BELOW - - - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eAuthor \u0026amp; Illustrator\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCindy Neuschwander, author\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCindy Neuschwander is a native Californian, but she has lived in many places, including Germany, England, Austria, and Hawaii. As a mathematics education specialist, Cindy sought ways to make math fun, interesting, and comprehensible to her students. In 1992, while living in England, Cindy began working on her first book with this goal in mind.\u003ci\u003eSir Cumference and the First Round Table\u003c\/i\u003e took five years to reach publication, but it remains a very popular book for its presentation of math concepts as well as for its amusing and exciting story. It has been followed by further adventures of Sir Cumference and his family. In her spare time, when she isn't writing or dreaming up new math adventures, Cindy enjoys activities with her family.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca title=\"Author Cindy Neuschwander\" href=\"http:\/\/charlesbridge.myshopify.com\/pages\/cindy-neuschwander\"\u003eRead more\u003c\/a\u003e about Cindy.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - ENTER ILLUSTRATOR BIO BELOW - - - - - - - - - - - --\u003e \u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWayne Geehan, illustrator\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWayne Geehan, a graduate of the Art Institute of Boston, has been illustrating books, board games, and jigsaw puzzles for over 20 years. When he isn't painting in his Massachusetts studio, he enjoys being with his family, reading, and researching his family's genealogy.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca title=\"Illustrator Wayne Geehan\" href=\"http:\/\/charlesbridge.myshopify.com\/pages\/wayne-geehan\"\u003eRead more \u003c\/a\u003eabout Wayne.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - ENTER AWARDS \u0026 HONORS BELOW - - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eAwards \u0026amp; Honors\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAAAS's Science Books \u0026amp; Films Best List\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - - ENTER REVIEWS BELOW - - - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eEditorial Reviews\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eReading Today Online\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis humorous story offers one explanation for the origin of pie charts and bar graphs while serving up some possible mathematical or culinary career choices for youngsters. Two talented bakers compete for the honor of preparing the Harvest Sweet for an annual celebration. In order to determine the popular favorites as the townspeople taste their wares, both bakers keep tallies, one marked with lines in flour on a table and the other with pinches of dough. But their records are ruined by their cat and dog that respectively dash through the flour and gobble up the dough. Still, they need some way to record their patrons’ favorite choices and eventually come up with their own strategies that will be animal-proof. The male baker stacks cookie molds, one for each different type of cookie preferred by his customers, while the female baker arranges different colors of candies around a circular, pie shape to record the results. Thus, the results will be visual, and easy to understand. The story will hold readers' attention while the acrylic paint illustrations fit the story well. The relish with which the townsfolk and the animals savor the desserts is palpable. Math has never been so sweet.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTeaching Children Mathematics, NCTM\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eSir Cumference and the Off-the-Charts Dessert\u003c\/i\u003e is one of eight books in Neuschwander’s series of mathematical adventures. This time, the medieval-style characters are embroiled in a bake-off of statistical proportions to determine this year’s Harvest Treat for the upcoming Harvest Faire. Pia from Chartres offers the best pies in town, and Bart Graf makes an assortment of cookies, but how to determine a winner? Ultimately, the pie graph and bar graph that are constructed, showing favorites among the pies and cookies respectively, make the selection obvious. Geared for grades 4–6, most of Neuschwander’s previous books help introduce and reinforce geometry concepts. In this book, she does the same for data analysis. Filled with delicious puns, the text is engaging and accurate; Geehan’s detailed illustrations enhance the mathematical information presented and promote a sense of fun. Fourth graders will think they themselves are unlocking the secret to the puns of “Pia from Chartres” and “Lady Di of Ameter,” whereas older students will simply groan. In either case, the mathematical concepts will most likely be remembered.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - - - ENTER DOWNLOADABLES BELOW - - - - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eDownloadables\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cimg alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0750\/0101\/files\/sir-cumference-off-the-charts-cvr.jpg?3626165307634417616\" style=\"display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"btn-wrapper\"\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0750\/0101\/files\/sir-cumference-off-the-charts-hires.zip?3626165307634417616\" class=\"product-btn\"\u003eDownload the Cover\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c!-- - - - - - - - - - - - ENTER DETAILS BELOW - - - - - - - - - - - --\u003e\n\u003ch5\u003eDetails\u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003ePaperback\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eISBN: 978-1-57091-199-6\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e E-book PDF\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eISBN: 978-1-60734-613-5\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAges: 8-12\u003cbr\u003ePage count: 32\u003cbr\u003e8 \u003csup\u003e1\u003c\/sup\u003e\/\u003csub\u003e2\u003c\/sub\u003e x 9 \u003csup\u003e1\u003c\/sup\u003e\/\u003csub\u003e2\u003c\/sub\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n[\/TABS]"}

Sir Cumference and the Off-the-Charts Dessert

By: Cindy Neuschwander / Illustrated by: Wayne Geehan

The yummiest way to learn about charts and graphs.

This eighth book in the popular Sir Cumference series introduces readers to different methods of collecting data.

Sir Cumference and Lady Di of Ameter are in a pickle. The castle cook is sick and the Harvest Faire is coming up—who will make the special dessert for this annual event? Two bakers in town, Pia of Chartres and Bart Graf, are up to the task. But after sampling Pia’s delicious pies and Bart’s scrumptious cookies, Sir Cumference and Lady Di just can’t choose! They come up with a solution: hold a contest and let the townspeople choose the dessert to be served at the faire.

When Pia and Bart’s methods of tracking their votes fail, they each realize they need to come up with a better system. Pia places a colored candy around the edges of a pie dough and Bart stacks his cookie molds—each color candy or mold shape represents a different kind of pie or cookie. Thus, the pie chart and bar graph are born! But when the contest ends in a tie, Pia and Bart concoct a hybrid recipe that everyone enjoys.

Maximum quantity available reached.

Cindy Neuschwander, author

Cindy Neuschwander is a native Californian, but she has lived in many places, including Germany, England, Austria, and Hawaii. As a mathematics education specialist, Cindy sought ways to make math fun, interesting, and comprehensible to her students. In 1992, while living in England, Cindy began working on her first book with this goal in mind.Sir Cumference and the First Round Table took five years to reach publication, but it remains a very popular book for its presentation of math concepts as well as for its amusing and exciting story. It has been followed by further adventures of Sir Cumference and his family. In her spare time, when she isn't writing or dreaming up new math adventures, Cindy enjoys activities with her family.

Read more about Cindy.


Wayne Geehan, illustrator

Wayne Geehan, a graduate of the Art Institute of Boston, has been illustrating books, board games, and jigsaw puzzles for over 20 years. When he isn't painting in his Massachusetts studio, he enjoys being with his family, reading, and researching his family's genealogy.

Read more about Wayne.

  • AAAS's Science Books & Films Best List

Reading Today Online

This humorous story offers one explanation for the origin of pie charts and bar graphs while serving up some possible mathematical or culinary career choices for youngsters. Two talented bakers compete for the honor of preparing the Harvest Sweet for an annual celebration. In order to determine the popular favorites as the townspeople taste their wares, both bakers keep tallies, one marked with lines in flour on a table and the other with pinches of dough. But their records are ruined by their cat and dog that respectively dash through the flour and gobble up the dough. Still, they need some way to record their patrons’ favorite choices and eventually come up with their own strategies that will be animal-proof. The male baker stacks cookie molds, one for each different type of cookie preferred by his customers, while the female baker arranges different colors of candies around a circular, pie shape to record the results. Thus, the results will be visual, and easy to understand. The story will hold readers' attention while the acrylic paint illustrations fit the story well. The relish with which the townsfolk and the animals savor the desserts is palpable. Math has never been so sweet.

Teaching Children Mathematics, NCTM

Sir Cumference and the Off-the-Charts Dessert is one of eight books in Neuschwander’s series of mathematical adventures. This time, the medieval-style characters are embroiled in a bake-off of statistical proportions to determine this year’s Harvest Treat for the upcoming Harvest Faire. Pia from Chartres offers the best pies in town, and Bart Graf makes an assortment of cookies, but how to determine a winner? Ultimately, the pie graph and bar graph that are constructed, showing favorites among the pies and cookies respectively, make the selection obvious. Geared for grades 4–6, most of Neuschwander’s previous books help introduce and reinforce geometry concepts. In this book, she does the same for data analysis. Filled with delicious puns, the text is engaging and accurate; Geehan’s detailed illustrations enhance the mathematical information presented and promote a sense of fun. Fourth graders will think they themselves are unlocking the secret to the puns of “Pia from Chartres” and “Lady Di of Ameter,” whereas older students will simply groan. In either case, the mathematical concepts will most likely be remembered.

Paperback
ISBN: 978-1-57091-199-6

E-book PDF
ISBN: 978-1-60734-613-5

Ages: 8-12
Page count: 32
8 1/2 x 9 1/2