2 x 2 = BOO!

Halloween characters and Leedy (Fraction Action, 1994, etc.) help readers memorize the multiplication table from 0 to 5. Six short chaptersone for each numberplus a straightforward explanation and a multiplication table at the end comprise the lesson, in a comic-book format; the characters appear in frames (or bursting out of them) with the dialogue written in speech bubbles. The cats, witches, and skeletons pictured make vampires disappear by multiplying them by 0, duplicate themselves by multiplying by 2, and so on. Everything is very simply drawn, in solid blocks of color, but due to the great amount of clutter on each page, the look is generally chaotic. The entire production has a homemade feel: It's exactly the kind of thing an older sibling might make for a younger one, by turns goofy, entertaining, and educational. (Picture book. 6-9)