ABCs of Mathematics is GENIUS. I love how it covered STEM vocabulary, exposing children to concepts at an early age. Also, kids can grow and still use the book, as it has more detailed descriptions of the words as well. (Honestly, I could probably use this for reference when I need to do math problems. It really breaks everything down nicely!)

Normally I'm not a fan of alphabet books or high concept baby books. This one, though, tickled my fancy. Never before have I personally gotten such a charge out of math. If an alphabet book can spark my interest enough that I went looking for a higher math audio book to listen to in my spare time, Ferrie must be doing something very right.

As someone with a bachelor's degree in mathematics, I was especially excited for this title (more so, perhaps because I had read and loved General Relativity for Babies). However, I just felt that this one wasn't as well written - perhaps, because it had to follow the ABC format and some of the options were really reaching. Also, as a side note, some of the illustrated examples were questionable too - why would anyone choose 4/2=2 as the example for division when 4-2 also =2? This is the most confusing example to introduce division/multiplication! As a person who knew very little about general relativity, when I read that volume I felt that I learned a lot...but I feel that someone with little to no mathematical background would be left scratching their head at some of these examples (like a matrix, null set or one-to-one I felt were not adequately explained). In conclusion, I like the idea, but anyone who doesn't already know this math would be left as confused as their little one. I wish it had stuck to the simplest ideas (addition was great!) and not the more advanced like linear algebra and topology that got lost in translation.

The author states that "it is never too early to introduce small children to big ideas". That, in a nut shell explains the concept and purpose of this book. The book is well done but I think this book would appeal more to parents who have a love of, and skill with, mathematics.

The ABCs of Mathematics is little one-friendly, because it introduces basic concepts that our kids are going to be learning soon enough. A is for Addition: Addition is the mathematics of counting. D is for division: Division is the mathematics of fair sharing. It's wonderfully to the point, and illustrations help reinforce simpler concepts like union: a Venn diagram, something that most school-age kids are familiar with, or addition, which stacks apples over numbers to illustrate the concept.

Want to close that word gap? Introduce some of these terms to your little ones. Let them explore and play with the books. Just expose them to the words and ideas in the books; if they hear it enough, it won't be a scary thing when they hear it in school. Any book that teaches me something as much as it does my kids is a good book.

I loved this book. It is bright and colorful and good way to introduce math terminology into vocabulary for young babies and children. I love the idea of using these books to just introduce the vocabulary used in different subjects. Reading this little board book I learned some great concepts too. I reveived a free copy of this from NetGalley in exchange for a review.

ABCs of Mathematics by Chris Ferrie. SOURCEBOOKS Jabberwocky. ©2017. 4 Stars. Okay, this is a book for the baby genius or Einstein baby. A simple board book with basic mathematics ideas and its use of color is intriguing but could befuddle some. It’s a jump-start book that may be a large leap for most kids. What is the rush in learning this? The first thing my kid ever wrote was a check when she was about a year old. So, maybe. (Where are the dollar signs?) The good news is that an award-winning physicist wrote this book, and for the mere value of introductory exposure to the shapes and concepts, this is a happy board book to have around. Thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Jabberwocky for providing this ebook for review.

STEM or Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, is a big buzzword in education right now. It's reached all the way down to preschool. As a toddler teacher I am always looking for new ways to incorporate these curricula in my classroom so I was both excited and doubtful when I saw these books on Edelweiss. I was doubtful because I was unsure how the material could be presented n such a way that young children could understand, but figured they were worth a try.

Both books were disappointing. They claim to be for children ages birth on up but realistically, they would be best for children 6 years old on up, maybe some 5 year olds. Just because a book has pictures and is in board book format doesn't mean it's suitable for young children. The author forgot one very important matter: the cognitive development of infants and toddlers. The concepts are beyond the cognitive abilities of infants and toddlers. Yes, Ferrie has simplified the concepts, but they are still beyond the abilities of infants and toddlers. The pictures are okay, they do seem to adequately illustrate the concepts but they are not particularly eye-catching. As alphabet books, they are adequate, but as science books for young children, they fail. For children in elementary school, I think they would work, and could lead to some good science and maths discussions.

I love the idea of this book. By the time children get to formal STEM (science tech engineering and math) education in school, for a lot of them, the level of delight and discovery isn't what it could/should be. A baby book introducing mathematics concepts through bright engaging colors and illustrations is a wonderful idea.

Unfortunately the choices and explanations are dissatisfying in a lot of ways. Other reviewers have pointed out specifics, but there are many places where the illustrations and text aren't at all explanatory (G for Golden Ratio for example)...

Wonderful concept, though, and the book is very appealing.

While a cute book for babies to "learn" mathematical concepts, there are a few errors and odd choices that were used. For instance, 1 is NOT a prime number, however, in the definition of prime numbers in the book, it is labelled as such. For the letter "o", the word used was one-to-one. Was there no other word or mathematical concept that starts with "o" that could be used? The example for "division" was 4/2=2. But 4-2=2 as well. Surely with all the divisible numbers out there, a better choice was available as an example.

I understand these books are just fun and a great way to raise a "geek" baby, but for these things to make an impact, it needs to be accurate and accessible. My rating of 3 stars is for the concept of the book. I hope more of these are made in a myriad of different topics, but I also hope for more stringent editing and fact checking. As a member of the scicomm community, as the book currently is, it'd be hard for me to recommend this to people with babies as much as I'd like to.

Thank you for allowing me to read this book and offer my opinion! It is something I plan to purchase for my son in the future, as he is only one and I'm quite certain would not understand it. I found the book easy to follow and read. I also can envision, when using this book as a learning tool, a child will present questions on its context, which is a great means of exploration.

Exposing little guys and gals to big ideas is Chris Ferrie's goal, and he does it again in ABCs of Mathematics.

Each letter stands for a mathematical concept from common ideas like addition to other less frequently known concepts like the torus. Fear not! Each mathematical idea comes with a simple picture, a one sentence definition, and a short explanation. Parents will learn right alongside their little ones.

This is a great way to introduce basic and intermediate math concepts. Very fun!

ABCs of Mathematics, by Chris Ferrie provides an unique and entertaining way for children to learn about math in twenty-six pages.

Each letter of the alphabet focuses on a mathematics term, such as A is for Addition, B is for Base, C is for Chord, D is for Division, E is for Equation, etc. Along with an illustration, the mathematics term is defined and summarized. According to the back cover, "Simple explanations of complex ideas for your future genius!"

ABCs of Mathematics is geared towards babies to third graders. Highly recommend adding this board book to your child's collection.


Note: I received this book from NetGalley, which is a program designed for bloggers to write book reviews in exchange for books, yet the opinions expressed in this review are my own.

ABC's of Mathematics would be an excellent table top book or showcased book shelf book to keep on hand for curious kid questions. The book was fun to flip through and something I would consider purchasing for new babies.

Great book for kids and parents. The illustrations are simplistic but educational. While my kids is looking at the pictures I am actually learning something new. After reading it a few times I'm sure my kid would retain a lot of information. This can also spark and interest for topics that are not taught until much later in their education.

Adorable book that explains various mathematical concepts!

Just like the ABS’s of Physics, The ABC’S of Mathematics is another lovely board book that will engage your child not only in learning the alphabet but also a visual guide to early maths. I found this book to be a wonderfully engaging board book that introduces your baby or child to the concept of maths. I personally found this book to be completely useful for myself. It really broke down some mathematics so it visually tells a story.
There are different descriptions on each page of each mathematical term, and these can be shortened or used whole depending on how engaged you can keep your baby. Like the physics version I believe this too will be on your children’s shelves for a period of years too. Early learning, done in a fun way like this will certainly assist your future mathematician as they learn early concepts of maths.

I love these books, but I know a lot of of people who will not understand them. I think this is a good sound reason for introducing them at the ABC board book age. A jump start. A large one, but one much needed in this society.

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