L is for Learning Math with Leo Lionni

ABOUT THE AUTHOR AND HIS TIMES

Leo Lionni was born in 1910 in Holland. Even as an early child, his passions were nature and art. While he had an uncle who gave him drawing lessons, he was mostly self-taught and spent many days at art museums looking and practicing.

With that background, you would think that Lionni got a degree in art but you would be wrong. After earning his Ph.D. in economics, he ended up in the US in 1939 working as an art director for an ad agency in order to escape the fascism building in Europe. In fact he did not begin writing children’s picture books until the late 1950’s.

You may look at Lionni‘s books and see strong similarities to Eric Carle or Ezra Jack Keats and you would be right. Those two famous children’s picture book authors were heavily influenced by Lionni’s design style and work.

I REMEMBER READING FREDERICK THE MOUSE TO MY LITTLE SISTER WHEN SHE WAS A TODDLER

Perhaps the greatest aspect of Lionni’s picture books is the amount of math taught in these classic books.

The most obvious math picture book that Lionni wrote is called Inch by Inch. This is a story of an inchworm who has a series of adventures with various animals who challenge him to measure things. When a nightingale threatens to eat him unless the inchworm can measure his song, the little worm must think creatively. Don’t worry, though, he is a smart little worm.

These are wonderful picture books to share with your child and they are great ways to learn early counting and measurement and pattern recognition.

WHAT LEO LIONNI WROTE FOR CHILDREN

• Alexander and the Wind-up Mouse
• The Alphabet Tree
• The Biggest House in the World
• A Busy Year
• A Color of His Own
• Colors to Talk About
• Cornelius: A Fable
• An Extraordinary Egg
• Fish is Fish
• A Flea Story
• Frederick
• Geraldine, the Music Mouse
• The Greentail Mouse
• I Want to Stay Here! I Want to Go There!: A Flea Story
• In the Rabbitgarden
• Inch by Inch
• It’s Mine
• Let’s Make Rabbits: A Fable
• Let’s Play
• Letters to Talk About
• Little Blue and Little Yellow
• Matthew’s Dream
• Mouse Days: A Book of Seasons
• Mr. McMouse
• Nadarin
• Nicolas, Where Have You Been?
• Numbers to Talk About
• On My Beach There are Many Pebbles
• Parallel Botany
• Pezzettino
• Pulgada a Pulgada
• Six Crows: A Fable
• Swimmy
• Theodore and the Talking Mushroom
• Tico and the Golden Wings
• Tillie and the Wall
• Una Piedra Extraordinaria
• What?: Pictures to Talk About
• When?: Pictures to Talk About
• Where?: Pictures to Talk About
• Who?: Pictures to Talk About
• Words to Talk About

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AND NOW, THE LINK PARTY!

FIRST, MY WONDERFUL CO-HOSTS:

AMANDA HOPKINS AT HOPKINS HOMESCHOOL

CHRISTINE HOWARD AT LIFE’S SPECIAL NECESSITIES

DAWN PELUSO AT SCHOOLIN’ SWAG

JENNIFER KING AT A PEACE OF MIND

KIMBERLEY LINKLETTER AT VINTAGE BLUE SUITCASE

KRISTEN HEIDER AT A MOM’S QUEST TO TEACH

LORI HOOTEN AT AT HOME: WHERE LIFE HAPPENS

WENDY ROSS AT LIFE ON CHICKADEE LANE

YVONNE BILLIAN AT THE LIFE WE BUILD

NOW, THE RULES (DON’T WORRY, THEY ARE REALLY SIMPLE):

1. Write a blog post and then hop over to the linkup and add your post!
2. Grab a blog button for your post.

3. Take some time to read the other great posts if you have the time and spread some encouragement and appreciation with a comment or two!

Together we can help each other increase our traffic, read some interesting tips and ideas, and spread some good cheer that will help us start off our weekend!

FINALLY, THE POSTS!