BUNCHES AND BUNCHES OF BUNNIES

Bunches of little ears-up bunnies multiply rapidly as Mathews moves on from two parent bunnies with two new babies (2x2=4) to three bunches of three bunnies doing farming chores, four bunches of four bunnies playing at a birthday party, and so on through to twelve bunches of twelve bunnies at a family reunion. Mathews' rhymes are not very catchy in themselves (at a magic show, ""6 shuffle cards, 6 pull silk by yards. 6 come popping up, 6 try to guess what cup. 6 find it queer when 6 more disappear""); their tone is a little babyish for kids ready for multiplication; and they alone won't get the concepts across. However, as incidental reinforcement, this demonstration of square number multiplication is more playful and less complicated than Peppe's (p. 1134, J-254); and 17-year-old Jeni Bassett's pictures are sprightly and fun. (Kids will enjoy the nine-times-nine bunnies acting up in the classroom.)