In this picture book (The Good Neighbors' Cheese Feast), children meet Onesie, Tenor, and Hund-Red, three neighborly mice with varying appetites for cheesy snacks resembling the cubes, rods, and flats that comprise base-ten block sets. As the book progresses through the single subtraction problem 753-485, the author uses a clever context - the cheese feast - to illustrate a motivation for exchanging various-sized cheese cuts in a way that is analogous to regrouping with base-ten blocks. Although the problem is not explicitly stated, each step of the standard algorithm for subtraction is modeled through cheese exchanges, making this appropriate for children in grade 2 or above. For example, when Onesie's recipe calls for five cheese cubes but he has only three, he borrows a ten-cube cheese stick from Tenor and cuts it into cubes, using the needed two and "storing" the eight-cubes that remain. A well-thought-out story line connects nicely to the idea of subtraction with regrouping - with reflective questions, such as, "How many cubes did I have altogether?" every few pages. to help readers think about the mathematical ideas being modeled. However, the story line is so detailed and the subtraction steps are so heavily embedded in the context that children are unlikely t fully recognize the mathematical connections without teacher intervention and multiple readings. To help students attend to the mathematical ideas underlying this engaging story, teachers may find the provided record sheets to be a useful tool for follow-up readings - Gina Garza-King, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, MI 49009 --Teaching Children Mathematics, Reviewing and Viewing - February 2011

This is an excellent book to use several different ways according to the needs of your students. It would be great for the beginning of the year when you are beginning place value and working with place value charts. Since I got this later in the year, I have used it with my students who need remediation in place value. It works for small groups just as well as whole groups. This book is very kid friendly and easy for the students to understand. This is a great math literacy book, It is excellent for working with number sense and place value. I would recommend this product to teachers of second and third grades. It can be used for whole group or for small group instruction or remediation. - Learning Magazine Teachers' Choice Award for Children's Books 2011 product judge --Learning Magazine Teachers' Choice Award for Children's Books - judge's comments

The book held the children's interest and they really liked the pictures. I liked the way Spanish was used in the book. My ELL students responded to this in a positive way. The story was not too long and all the children paid attention. The visual on the last two pages helped to explain regrouping in a visual way. This is a great book to use with Math when doing subtraction with regrouping. This book would be a great asset to a teacher's "toolbox" when teaching Math in any grade 1st through 5th. - Learning Magazine Teacher's Choice Award for Children's Books 2011 product judge --Learning Magazine Teachers' Choice Award for Children's Books - judge's comments

I would use this book as a read aloud to the whole class when I introduce addition with regrouping. I would read the book again after most of the children have mastered the concept. It could be used again with those students who have not yet mastered addition with regrouping in small group work. The children like the pictures. They responded to the questions eagerly. Working in a school with a large ELL population, I was glad to see the Spanish in the book. Their eyes lit up when I read the Spanish aloud. The children were motivated in interact with the story. This book would be used in Math to go along with addition with regrouping. It could also be used when discussing place value. This book would be great to have in a teachers' library for grades 1-5. I would recommend this book as a resource for Math literature. Learning Magazine Teachers' Choice Award for Children's Books 2011 - product judge's comments 

I would recommend using this book as an introduction t the math concept of addition with regrouping. It definitely should be a read aloud to either whole class or small instructional group setting. The kids enjoyed being read to during math because it was something different that the norm. The students stayed focused while I read this book. The book give illustrations with a story to go along with addition with regrouping. If there were enough copies, it could be used during small reading groups. It would be nice for the students t have their own copy to see the illustrations better. I would recommend this book to other teachers. It is a different and new way to introduce addition with regrouping. It gives students another way to learn math. Learning Magazine Teachers' Choice Award for Children's Books 2011 - product judge's comments 

Whole group or small group could benefit from this addition book. You could do this when teaching regrouping and use it along with your other materials. The book has wonderful illustrations. The mice characters make the math series appealing to children. My students were immediately engaged in the book from the first page where they found the character Onesie; dressed in a baby's one-piece shirt. They found this very amusing. The text and font were age appropriate and the questions printed in the inserts encouraged discussion. I used this book for Math and reviewing the concept of addition with regrouping to the hundreds place. We also infused the Spanish words into the discussion and related it to their Spanish lessons and vocabulary. I think it would be of great use to first and second grade. The concepts of regrouping really begin in first and second grade. I would recommend it for use to those teachers to supplement what they have. Learning Magazine Teachers' Choice Award for Children's Books 2011 - product judge's comments

I ordered The Good Neighbors Store an Award to use as a different approach to teach addition with regrouping to my second grade students. The story was interesting, colorful and very easy to follow. The students truly enjoyed reading it and couldn't wait to read the next story. Terrific story!!!! - K. Burnham, 2nd Grade Teacher

I ordered The Good Neighbors' Cheese Feast for my second grade students who were struggling with subtraction with regrouping. They really enjoyed the story, especially the ending! I think it is a nice way to teach regrouping and a great way to stray away from the paper-pencil methods. Excellent story and concept!!!! - K. Burnham, 2nd Grade Teacher

They (the books) are cute and should be helpful to young kids. - Hung-Hsi Wu, Professor Emeritus of Mathematics at the University of California, Berkeley

I have been teaching 2nd grade for almost 20 years, and it's always a challenge to teach children to subtract with regrouping.  The Good Neighbors' Cheese Feast is a delightful way to instruct students on this process.  The book creatively instills place-value with Onesie, Tenor, and Hund-Red as the Official Mascots of the Base-Ten Blocks.  My students enjoyed this story and it helped them to master the process of subtraction.  I look forward to more books in the series.  L. Veratti 2nd Grade Teacher

The Good Neighbors Store an Award guided my students through the addition process with regrouping.  We used base-ten blocks and followed along with the story.  The class enjoyed the book and really loved the ending.  A great teacher resource for making learning fun!  P. Thomson 2nd Grade Teacher

The Good Neighbors’ Cheese Feast was a clever way to present the process of subtraction with regrouping.  The students connected with the characters and put meaning behind this math concept.  The book was a hit with my classroom!  P. Thomson 2nd Grade Teacher