“Shapes that Roll” Review and Activity

by Haley Bono

Shapes That Roll by Karen Nagel, takes the reader on a tour of a variety of different shapes, and how they are a part of everyday life. There are three adorable shapes that become the “guides” throughout the story The reader will see these three shapes, throwing, building, driving, or even munching, as they explore a world of possibilities.

However, this book is more than just about shapes. This book introduces and reinforces several introductory math concepts. Concepts like half vs. whole, flat vs. three-dimensional, as well as heavy vs. light. What’s even more impressive, is that the author manages this while writing catchy rhymes, making the rhythm of the book fun and interesting. The pictures are all high-contrast, and very eye-catching, which helps individual shapes stand out and keeps even my two-year-old engaged.

Shapes that Roll is a great book that I would recommend to anyone. It’s also a scholastic book, which means it should be available in most bookstores, but here is a link to buy it on amazon Shapes That Roll: Nagel, Karen. However, I always encourage people to support their local bookstores. I’ve recently discovered Vooks on youtube, who make the cutest read-alouds with animations, and they’ve done an excellent video for this book, click HERE to check it out.

Just like the three “shape guides” in the book, have your child make their own “shape guide” using one of the four templates that you can download at the end of this post. You can ask your child different questions such as: What is your favorite shape and why? Why do you think shapes are important? Or you can point at something and ask: What different shapes make up _______(insert the object/item you are pointing to)?

Supplies:

Free templates (there will be a free download at the end of the post), items to color with, pencil/pen to write with, glue & glitter (optional).

Directions:

1. Have your child pick which shape they would like to color. You can encourage them to add a face, and maybe some arms and legs, just like the shapes from the book.
2. Fill out the questions. Have them identify what the shape is, and give their shape its own name like Bob or Mary etc. What are all the different things this shape could be? If your child is younger, they may need help with this step.
3. Add some glitter. This step is optional, but kids LOVE glitter, and it will make the shape more interesting. I recommend adding some glue and glitter just to the outline of the shape so that the shape is what stands out.
4. Reinforce the concept. Once you’ve finished this activity, you can still reinforce the lesson by pointing out anytime you see the shape. You can make it more engaging by calling the shape by the name your child gave. For example, if your child colored the circle and named it Mary, and you see something shaped like a circle while you’re out and about, you could say, "Oh look, it’s Mary the circle!"

Different Variations:

• There is a “blank” template. This is designed for older children. They can draw their own shape. It can be a common shape (circle, triangle, square, etc.), a more complicated shape, or even a combination of shapes. You might even have them draw an entire scene (similar to the last page of the book) and then go back and identify as many shapes as they can in the picture they drew.