Maddie loves all things numerical and geometric, the shapes of things, the measuring, piano practice and even the words used to describe geometric arrangements such as symmetrical to describe the shape of some flowers or tessellated for the pattern Dad had used in the brick -paving. She loved the different ways numbers could tell the time, and counting the coins at the school canteen when her dad helped out. Maddie loved maths!
Maddie’s friends though did not share her love of all things mathematical, and she longed to be friends with someone who did. She was so caught up in her misery that she missed her teacher giving the new girl, Priya, a star for her geometry creating snowflakes. Dad however had a surprise for her when they picked up Priya and her mother and drove to the observatory – a place Maddie had longed to visit. Here Maddie’s dad explained about angles and degrees. Priya’s mum talked about measuring the speed of light and holes in space that could bend time. For Maddie it was a perfect night: a combination of maths, magic, and making a new friend.
STEM subjects are not usually the stuff of picture books but here the joy of numbers, of shapes and their everyday applications is so skilfully woven into the narrative you empathise and even feel excited by Maddie’s love. This wonderment of the world of numbers and shapes is carried onto the endpapers with a vision of the night sky and mathematical terms appear like the names of stars.
The watercolour artwork has a gentle, yet colourful feel and the various mathematical shapes and concepts are carefully displayed near Maddie who in turn appears isolated from the other children. The impact of finding a like-minded friend is beautifully shown in the small image of the two girls’ hand-in-hand.
Although the book appears to be for a younger audience, the subject matter and the quality of the artwork make it a worthy title to introduce and show maths and geometry in new and different ways to an older audience.
Picture Books for Older Readers
