That's a Possibility!: A Book about What Might Happen by Bruce Goldstone (review)

Using crisp, bold photo illustrations and a text that builds concepts gradually and methodically, Goldstone introduces children to the language of mathematical probability. He begins with defining and contrasting possibility and impossibility: "Will a chicken hatch from this egg? That's a possibility! Will a snake hatch from this egg? That's a possibility! Will a spider hatch from this egg? That's a possibility! Will an elephant hatch from this egg? That's impossible!" From there he moves onto explaining certainty and then jumps into determining probability, demonstrated by the process of deciding which of a multitude of colored gumballs one would probably get, which other colors are possible, and which are improbable. Flipping a coin demonstrates odds while other visual examples, including spinners, choosing a card from a standard deck, and dice rolling, are used to further reinforce the concept. A stuffed animal and his wardrobe possibilities make for a series of different combinations, and permutations are explored textually and visually with a hypothetical race between a rabbit, a frog, and a robot. Instructions for making a paper-plate spinner and playing a grab-bag guessing game are included, as well as additional notes on the topic. This will be incredibly useful to teachers and parents as an introduction to or reinforcement of probability concepts, and students who are visual learners will find plenty of support here from the attractive photos and thoughtfully designed layout. While the complexity of some of the ideas may require spending more time (and perhaps some hands-on practice) on certain spreads before moving on, the snappy narration, the (generally) large illustrations and the clarity of the explanations will facilitate group sharing of this title. It's probable that you should buy this book.