The teddy bears are back—this time to teach readers all about patterns. Similar to the first three books in the McGrath Math series of concept books, TEDDY BEAR PATTERNS uses rhyming verse to explain the concepts illustrated by the colorful teddies. This simple text helps children to follow along as the teddy bears sort by color, and arrange into patterns of two colors, three colors, and so on. Readers will also discover how they can use patterns to skip count, add, and even multiply, before trying their hand at creating a pattern of their own.

TEDDY BEAR PATTERNS is a worthwhile addition to the classroom, especially those that already use bear counters or other manipulatives as learning tools. Back matter provides a summary of the concepts introduced in the book. McGrath starts with a simple definition of a pattern and grows the concept progressively to include multiplication as well as odds and evens in her fourth installation of the McGrath Math series. Nihoff's bold Photoshop illustrations appear to be Gummy Bear-inspired and are laid out against a stark white background sure to hold children's attention. Although a mere 32 pages, teachers could potentially select a segment of the book to use with their classes for a lesson, depending upon the grade level. The book lends itself to interactivity, particularly since packages of plastic bears are available that students could manipulate. Ina climate with such emphasis on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math Curriculum), this is a strong choice for both school and public libraries.
—BayViews