"That's Mathtastic!"
As a teacher, I am constantly trying to engage students in their learning that takes the skills and ideas of math outside of the classroom walls for students. So to see the exact quote: "See, math doesn't just happen in the classroom - you can use it to help solve real-life problems too (p. 13)" was amazing! Building math concepts into this story of ordinal number and sequence, money, shapes, fractions, time and measurement will help young mathematicians to use their math brains to think of so many every day tasks that are math related. Would absolutely recommend as a mentor text for classrooms K-2.

While the cover might suggest that space would be the answer to the question this book nicely covers some of the ways we use math. Counting the monkey bars and chips at lunch. It focused on identifying times that he uses numbers, the adults point out the math concepts but this could have gone further.
We could have seen other examples like how the lunch lady counts and measures to cook the food for all the kids. I liked the ice cream example with figuring out change (generally a good way to help kids understand decimals and fractions) I think I was hoping for more examples to keep kids learning math. I've often heard kids around school saying they do not need more math since they know the numbers and measurements that's all the practical math everything else is just extra. With the interest in space that Bennie, our main character exhibits on every page, so much more could have been done.

Bennie hates math. The endless numbers and symbols, combined with his careless mistakes, make it hard for him to see math’s value. 'What’s math good for, anyway?' he wonders. But as the story unfolds, Bennie unexpectedly discovers math in most unusual places, and his perspective begins to change.
That’s Mathtastic!
This delightful book is a wonderful addition to both home and school libraries. Packed with humor, vibrant illustrations, and plenty of math, "What’s Math Good For, Anyway?" teaches a valuable lesson about the true worth of math. A solid 5/5!

Elementary school children for generations have asked why they have to learn math, and this delightfully illustrated picture book answers that question repeatedly with examples from a child's daily life.

In this adorably illustrated picture book, Bennie is not a fan of math. (I’m sure most of us can sympathize). As his school day goes on, he finds that we can use math in our everyday life. And that applying it to real life situations can be fun.
Bennie uses math in the lunchroom, on the playground, at the store and at home while eating dinner. My first grader enjoyed counting along with Bennie and his friends.
Pick this one up for all your little math haters.
I received an ARC of this title, all opinions are my own.

I think just about anybody who doesn't love math has asked the question, "What is math good for anyway?" I know my daughters sure have! This was a cute picture book showing different situations in a young child's day where math is used. I think kids will appreciate the cute illustrations and parents and teachers will have thoughtful and relatable discussions with their students. The only thing I didn't care for is how Bennie got really excited about math after the first discovery of math used in his everyday life. Did we forget he HATED math? I feel like it would have been more relatable if it built up to the excitement. Like oh, if Bennie can come to appreciate math, then maybe I can too!

I really liked the idea behind this book and it was really well put together.

The book is well written and it is easy to follow.

The illustrations were really good and they brought the book to life.

I loved the mix of ways that "Math" is approached too - it is a great way to introduce Math to children as they will be surprised by how much there is on the book

It is 5 stars from me for this one - very highly recommended!

My 6 year old loved this book! She's been resistant to her math homework and this actually talked her into doing it without argument! I don't know how long the effect will last but I am so glad to have received this e A R C! The illustrations are fantastic and the story engaging.

This is a cute story! Don’t all children want to know when they’re ever going to use this stuff? Here is a practical starting point that shows that math is everywhere. With colorful illustrations, it is a book kids will enjoy while learning something too. Recommend!
*I received a complimentary copy of this e-book from Nicole Frankel Books through NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

A nice read for children entering school. It comes with different real-life exemples of math.
For every kid having fear of math.
Beautiful illustrated and easy to read.

➗ A few years ago, I provided math tutoring services to students in grades 5 through 9. A recurring sentiment I encountered was, ‘I’ll never use this in real life!’ In response, I engaged students in a conversation about their future career aspirations. I highlighted how math plays a fundamental role in various jobs, including their hopeful professions in baking, teaching, business ownership, veterinary medicine, farming, and nursing. The realization that math impacts their future endeavors was eye-opening for these young learners.

➕ I firmly believe that educators and parents should not only teach the foundational principles of math but also provide real-world examples of its applications. For instance, owning a bakery requires understanding weights, measurements, recipe scaling, portioning, cost analysis, and budgeting. Bridging the gap between classroom math and practical scenarios is crucial for fostering genuine engagement.

✖️ This picture book, aimed at children aged 3 to 8, explores how math operates beyond the confines of a classroom. The story follows a boy who initially dislikes math but gradually discovers its presence in everyday activities. It’s a valuable perspective for young learners struggling with math.

➖ If you encounter young ones grappling with math, this book might offer them a new perspective and ignite their curiosity!

Thank you @netgalley and Nicole Frankel Books for an eARC of this book, which I have read and reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

I enjoyed reading this book! I thought it was such a smart idea to include a bunch of different real-life examples of math, because I'd say about 50% of kids in school absolutely HATE math. This book was definitely written for that 50% of kids. And for that 50% of kids, I think that this book perfectly articulates that you don't have to *like* math, but it is useful in everyday activities. The only note I have about the plot itself is I think it felt a little bit like a hodge podge of ideas. All of the examples are introduced in a linear fashion, but it felt like the author was almost forcing these examples into a timeline without allowing the story to flow and lead itself.
As for the illustrations, they tie heavily into my last note, so if the plot is tweaked a bit then the illustrations would have definitely been a bit more effective for me. Aside from that, the illustrations were pretty good, colorful, detailed, they conveyed the math concepts really well, and they correlated nicely with the writing on each page.
The last thing that didn't work great for me was how right away after the first way he accidentally uses math in his day, Bennie is quick to say "That's mathtastic!" Personally, I thought it was a little unbelievable how Bennie jumped onto the math train after one event. I think that it would have worked better for the story's personality to have Bennie be skeptical of math at first, and then grow to start saying "that's mathtastic!" more towards the end of the book.

A lovely book about the importance of a subject that many kids dislike, Math. The book covers basic math and how it may be used in every day situations such as at school. I’ll be sharing this book with others at my school.

I was hoping for more from this book. It's not anything that hasn't already been done many times. A few standard examples of math in life. ARC via NetGalley

I read this book to my 2 and 6 year old sons. We are homeschooling my 6 year old and when I read the title he said “Yeah why is math good for” and at the end of the book he said, “wow math is good for a lot of things”. This book was super cute and helped teach ways that young kids use math every day. Thank you for the Arc NetGalley!

What is Math Good for, Anyway? follows a boy named Bennie who hates math and would rather do art, be in the gym, or write. Bennie then learns how math is used outside of the classroom from counting, subtracting, measuring, telling time, and more. The illustrations are bright and colorful, and the book highlights the importance of math and motivates kids to explore how they use math in their everyday lives.

Cute little book about mathematics and how we use maths in our everyday life.Maths is one subject either you hate it or love it but you can't escape it.This book can be all the motivation a child needs to love maths .

As a Kindergarten teacher who has struggled at times with motivating children to want to do math, I found this book entertaining and informative. I can see how it could help to engage children in what we are doing and for me that’s a game changer. A great addition to any classroom library.

A fun book to teach kids why math matters! I was definitely a Bennie. I disliked math and didn't see its purpose until a lot later in life. This book makes math relatable and applicable for little learners!

My kids and I loved this book. What is math good for anyway, provides easy to follow along examples of ways that math crops up throughout the day. The author included math in the book which we appreciated! I wi be buying this book for my 4 and 6 year old.