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Bedtime Math- book review

In the series of Books Bedtime Math, by author Laura Overdeck, we get familiar some fun facts 😀

There are four Bedtime Math books:

Bedtime Math: A Fun Excuse to Stay Up Late
Bedtime Math: This Time It’s Personal
Bedtime Math: The Truth Comes Out
Bedtime Math: How Many Guinea Pigs Can Fit on a Plane?

I read two of them, for which I'm going to share my personal impression.

    The first book that I read was the Bedtime Math: The Truth Comes Out. That books consists of 40 fun facts fitted into paragraph-long texts. Besides the facts, on the next side (one title covers two pages) you can see math-related questions on three levels of understanding math + the bonus question. The questions range from pre-K up to G7 maybe, although some bonus-problems are really tricky. I learned nice fun facts. The most interesting for me was the "Staring Contest", where the author is sharing the fact the camels have a 3 eyelids! Wow! Isn't that weird? 😀  To summarize, this book is fun-loving. And for sure it was an enjoyable experience. So, do I recommend? You betcha! 
 

    For a Bedtime Math: A Fun Excuse to Stay Up Late, I couldn't say that I share the same impression. The content might be mathematically enthused, but pedagogically, it could've been done better.  In my opinion, the facts and the text could inspire kids to some dangerous activities. There is a complete chapter: "Sports you shouldn't try at home" where idea after idea is laid out. On page 56, we can read the sentence: " You strap yourself into a large, winged, kite-shaped object that weighs almost nothing. Then you get a running start and run right off the cliff." I mean: Whaat?!
In the same chapter, page 64, we can read: "...you can take a long, elastic cord called a bungee, hook one end to the bridge, hook the other end to yourself and jump." No words needed! 

Knowing that this book was read to so many young heads, unable to make the right judgment is petrifying. Further more, discussible chapter is the  "Extreme vehicles". There we can find: "strap a jet engine onto your back and fly" p.50. I understand the author's point of view, but with this type of facts and ideas you should write a precautious captions as well. Here I found some potentially disturbing ideas like: "But whether you want a frog as your friend or your dinner, you have to catch it first..." I found this sentence as non-appropriate one, because it leads to the thinking that one can choose between eating someone or keeping it. You might say that I'm overreacting but it's a bit of morbid for my taste.


    All in all, the series Bedtime Math are going better and better. Their first book in the series A Fun Excuse to Stay Up Late, I have to say that would not recommend. However the third book Bedtime Math: The Truth Comes Out is a real gem and must read/have.

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