Published By: John Goldstein
Title: Even Steven and Odd Todd
Author: Kathryn Crystalloid

Illustrators: Hank Morehouse and Henry Morehouse

Recommended Grade Levels: Preschool – 3^rd Grade

Common Core Standards Addressed:

CCSS.Math.Content.K.CC.3  Know number names and the count sequence

Write numbers from 0 to 20. Represent a number of objects with a written numeral 0-20 (with 0 representing a count of no objects).

CCSS.Math.Content.K.CC.6  Compare numbers

Identify whether the number of objects in one group is greater than, less than, or equal to the number of objects in another group (e.g., by using matching and counting strategies).

CCSS.Math.Content.2.OA.3 Work with equal groups of objects to gain foundations for multiplication.

3. Determine whether a group of objects (up to 20) has an odd or even number of members, e.g., by pairing objects or counting them by 2s; write an equation to express an even number as a sum of two equal addends.

Summary: This book is about a boy named Even Steven who likes everything done evenly (his pets, his library books, his pancakes, etc.). Unexpectedly, his cousin Odd Todd who likes everything done in odd numbers decides to come visit. This greatly upsets Even Steven whose life begins to turn upside down.

Rating **** - I thought that this was a really interesting book especially for learning about odd and even numbers. Everything Steven does is done in even numbers while everything Todd does is done with odd numbers. It’s a good way to numbers during the early years (counting and cardinality for kindergarten) as well as learning about even and odd numbers in second grade. It keeps the topic interesting with all of its visuals and has a happy ending.

Classroom Ideas: I think that this book can be used for many mathematical concepts at the earlier age (addition, subtraction, multiplication, division) as the book discusses even and odd numbers throughout. For instance, Even Steven discusses how many pancakes he wants to make and then if he eats half now and half for lunch, how many does he have. You can look at this through multiplication, subtraction and division because the numbers are so low. Additionally, I think this book would be used for a 2^nd grade lesson where the students are specifically learning about even and odd numbers. I think you could expand on the numbers in the book and have the students continue in the twenties, thirties, forties, etc. counting by odd and even numbers once they got the hang of things.