Fraction Action

Romping through boldly colored panels of art, Leedy's ( A Number of Dragons ; The Furry News ) congenial cast of animal characters helps introduce the concept of fractions. Five brief chapters tell stories as they teach. In the first, for example, Miss Prime explains basic fractions to her class of five. Balancing drawings of geometric shapes divided into sections and such familiar images as half of a sandwich and a pie cut into four pieces, Leedy makes it easy for youngsters to visualize what is meant by the various amounts. Other subjects tackled include sets, dividing objects into equal parts and subtracting and comparing the value of fractions. With mini math problems (answers to which appear at the end) and large doses of humor worked into the text, this classroom-oriented book adds up to sound, instructive fun. Ages 4-8. (Mar.)