"Up marched the saxophones,
all 25 --
sopranos and altos
they come five by five"

The creators of "Bat Jamboree," which "School Library Journal" called "a witty combination of counting book and theatrical experience," are proud to introduce -- 385 marching band bats!From the drum majorette, who marches 1 X 1, to the sousaphones striding 10 X 10, these bats march in multiples to the tune of Kathi Appelt's snappy text and Melissa Sweet's boisterous illustrations. Distributed by Syndetic Solutions, Inc.

K-Gr 3A bat band demonstrates the concept of multiplication by marching in formations from 1 majorette to 2 groups of 2 piccolo players to 10 columns of 10 sousaphonists. Lighthearted watercolor illustrations and rhyming text describe each group: Up marched the saxophones,/all 25/sopranos and altos,/they came five by five. Some of them are displayed in clear rows and columns but others appear more randomly massed. At the end of the parade, the bats fly off and the total number of marchers is added up. The book develops a certain sense of excitement and the uniformed bats provide humor, but there is no real story. However, the illustrations do show the dramatic increases that occur when numbers are multiplied and may provide some reinforcement for children familiar with the concept.Adele Greenlee, Bethel College, St. Paul, MN Copyright 1999 Cahners Business Information. From: Reed Elsevier Inc. Copyright Reed Business Information

Ages 5^-8. Sweet had her hands full illustrating this lively story of a bat parade, which doubles as an introduction to basic multiplication. "Let the good times begin, / the Grand Marshall cried / and a bevy of bats dropped out of the sky." One drum majorette leads the band, followed by "piccolos piping in twos," flautists marching three by three, and so on, until 385 bats are assembled, carefully grouped to show the sum of the products of 1 x 1, 2 x 2, 3 x 3, and on through 10 x 10. The numerical problem is pictured in a separate illustration in the corner of the page. Little ones will enjoy this for the spunky rhyme, and the peppy illustrations will give them opportunities to practice counting; older children can use it to help them visualize what happens during the multiplication process. --Stephanie Zvirin From: Syndetics Solutions, Inc. Distributed by Syndetic Solutions, Inc.