This post is a list of mathsy picture books intended to be shared and enjoyed together, at home, or indeed school. All the books listed have had the seal of approval from my own children, who have devoured them, and demanded to take many into school for show and tell! They are books that are not only beautiful in terms of their content and presentation, not only captivating in terms of both the writing and illustration, but also in terms of the discussions they invoke with children, both mathematical, civic and humanistic. They are books that make no attempt to teach mathematics, but by celebrating mathematics and mathematicians, and, indeed, the mathematicians in all of us, frame mathematics as the quiet protagonist. They are books that do not propagate the exclusivist view of the exceptional that for many is associated with mathematics, but rather tell stories that will embolden young minds and invoke a sense of possibility and awe. Whilst they are all founded in and framed by mathematics, they reveal deeper cultural stories, gently exposing children to themes of mindset, resilience, equality and inclusion. Publishers' recommended ages are provided, but I would not hesitate to share these stories with the younger, or, indeed, older.
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Written by Amy Alznauer | Illustrated by Daniel Miyares | Recommended for ages 4-8 | For more information see this review on the Goodreads website | See this page from teachingbooks.net for author interviews and lots of great activities to explore the book further with children | See also the book's page on the author's website with more great activities and videos to explore the book further | And see this more in depth review on Math Book Magic
This is a beautifully written and exquisitely illustrated book recounting the captivating and inspiring story of Indian mathematician Srinivasa Ramanujan (1887-1920). Ramanujan, with virtually no formal training in mathematics, independently solved mathematical problems that were once considered unsolvable. He is considered an 'intuitive mathematical genius,' whose 'discoveries have influenced several areas of mathematics,' most notably in number theory and infinite series.
The story describes Ramanujan's search to unlock the 'secrets of numbers,' alongside his search to find someone who understood him and his work, which came to an end after he wrote to English mathematician Godfrey Harold Hardy in 1913, aged 26. Hardy recognised Ramanujan's genius and arranged as a result for Ramanujan to travel to ― and attend ― the University of Cambridge as a research student. The author gently and lyrically tells the story of Ramanujan's early life as a boy exploring his mathematical ideas with chalk on the temple floors in his home city of Erode, south east India, through his struggles with school and up to his contact with Hardy, and ends with his journey to England. Complemented by the dreamy, watercolour illustrations of Daniel Miyares, Ramanujan's genius, struggles and resilience flow gorgeously from each page, encouraging discussions as human as they are mathematical.
After the story the author recounts more of Ramanujan's life and achievements, as well as describing her mathematician father George Andrews' discovery of Ramanujan’s lost notebook in Cambridge University's Wren Library, and how it changed their lives forever. You can also watch the author talk about this in this video released by publisher Candlewick Press.
Grown Ups might be interested in Robert Kanigel's fascinating biography of Ramanujan: 'The Man Who Knew Infinity: Life of the Genius Ramanujan,' and the 2015 film adaptation 'The Man Who Knew Infinity,' starring Dev Patel and Jeremy Irons.
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Written by Cheryl Bardoe | Illustrated by Barbara McClintock | Recommended for ages 4-8 | See this review on the Goodreads website | See this page from teachingbooks.net for author interviews and lots of great activities to explore the book further with children | See this short but typically insightful account of Germain and her legacy from the renowned science and mathematics author Simon Singh
This is a wonderfully written and illustrated book recounting the remarkable story of the trailblazing eighteenth century French mathematician Marie-Sophie Germain (1776-1831). Germain was, in short, an extraordinary mathematician whose story is, in more ways than one, captivating. Forbidden to attend University, Germain famously taught herself, reading Newton, Euler and others. She corresponded with preeminent mathematicians of the time, most notably Adrien-Marie Legendre, Joseph-Louis Lagrange and Carl Friedrich Gauss. But to circumnavigate the prejudices of 19th-century French society that threatened to impede her way in mathematics, Germain assumed a man's identity, writing under the nom de plume of a Monsieur LeBlanc. In the words of my incredulous daughter, 'What?! She had to pretend to be a boy to do maths that boys couldn't do?!' She was eventually revealed as a mathématicienne to Gauss, who described Germain as 'a superior genius'.
From having her candles and clothes confiscated by her parents to discourage her from studying such an 'unfeminine subject,' to having to pretend to be a man to have her work recognised, the difficulties Germain faced and how she overcame them are affectionately recounted by author Cheryl Bardoe, and guided along the way by Barbara McClintock's joyful paintings and collages.
Germain was inspired by Ernst Chladni's beautiful, awe-inspiring 'figures' to formulate a mathematical theory of elastic surfaces that described Chladni's experimental observations. (This wonderful little video by Steve Mould shows these amazing patterns.) Despite many setbacks and after years of work, Germain eventually succeeded and published her Récherches sur la théorie des surfaces élastiques in 1821, and in doing so winning the prix extraordinaire from the esteemed Académie des sciences.
Grown Ups might be interested in Dora Musielak's fictional chronicle of Germain's 'coming of age of a teenager learning mathematics on her own, growing up during the most turbulent years of the French Revolution': 'Sophie's Diary: A Mathematical Novel.'
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Written by Deborah Heiligman | Illustrated by LeUyen Pham | Recommended for ages 5-8 | For more information see this review on the Goodreads website | See this page from teachingbooks.net for author interviews and lots of great activities to explore the book further with children | See also the book's page on the author's website with more great activities and videos to explore the book further | And see this more in depth review and exploration from The Marginalian
This is a beautifully written and playfully illustrated book recounting the story of the eccentric Hungarian genius and one of the most prolific mathematicians of the twentieth century Paul Erdős (1913-1996). Author Deborah Heiligman tenderly recounts Erdős' remarkable life, from the prodigy's struggles at school, through the love and care he received from his mother who nurtured Erdős burgeoning love of mathematics, to the social awkwardness he exhibited as an adult, his insatiable appetite to 'do math,' and his famous collaborations with mathematicians around the world. The much loved 'Magician from Budapest,' who became affectionately known as 'Uncle Paul,' is brought to life with LeUyen Pham's wonderful illustrations warmly incorporating some of Erdős' mathematical obsessions.
Grown Ups might be interested in Paul Hoffman's superb biography of Erdős: 'The Man Who Loved Only Numbers: The Story of Paul Erdős and the Search for Mathematical Truth'. If you want to delve deeper into some of the mathematics that Erdős was inspired by and worked on, you might be interested in 'Proofs from THE BOOK,' a book of mathematical proofs by Martin Aigner and Günter Ziegler, which is dedicated to Erdős, who often referred to 'The Book' in which God keeps the most elegant proof of each mathematical theorem.
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Written by Megan Reid | Illustrated by Aaliya Jaleel | Recommended for ages 8-10 | For more information see this review on the Goodreads website | See this page from teachingbooks.net for author interviews and lots of great activities to explore the book further with children | And see this more in depth review and exploration from Rhapsody in Books
This brilliant and beautifully illustrated book recounts the story Iranian mathematician Maryam Mirzakhani (1977-2017), the first woman to win the Fields Medal (in 2014), the most prestigious award in mathematics, 'for her outstanding contributions to the dynamics and geometry of Riemann surfaces and their moduli spaces'. (The Fields Medal is awarded only once every four years, and you can view this short video from the International Mathematical Union announcing and describing Mirzakhani's award.)
The story is one that celebrates creativity and curiosity. Author Megan Reid affectionately describes Mirzakhani's love of reading as a little girl, her love of stories and of school, but her dislike of maths! With Aaliya Jaleel's crisp, joyous and fascinating illustrations, the book shows how Mirzakhani's love of mathematics burgeoned and flourished after her teacher introduced her to geometry when she was 12 ― and how she learned that shapes have their own magical and often untold stories, stories which, moreover, she could tell with mathematics.
On announcing her tragic death in 2014, Stanford University recounted how Mirzakhani famously described herself as a 'slow' mathematician, and how she was 'resolute and fearless in the face of problems others would not, or could not, tackle.' The University describes how Mirzakhani worked on problems by 'doodl[ing] on large sheets of white paper, scribbling formulas on the periphery of her drawings,' which led her young daughter to describe 'her mother at work as “painting.”' Megan Reid's beautiful writing and Aaliya Jaleel's joyous illustrations capture this sense of mathematics as painting in a way that young readers can, quite wonderfully, connect with.
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Written and Illustrated by Fiona Robinson | Recommended for ages 6-9 | See this review on the Goodreads website | See this page from teachingbooks.net for author interviews and lots of great activities to explore the book further with children | See this interview with the author about the book and its design | And see this more in depth review and exploration from Rhapsody in Books
This wonderfully written and lovingly illustrated book recounts the story mathematician Ada Lovelace (1815-1852). Ada, Countess of Lovelace, was the daughter of romantic poet Lord Byron and Anne Isabella, the11th Baroness Wentworth and Baroness Byron. Lovelace is regarded as the world’s first computer programmer, having had her work and achievements only relatively recently recognised, and as a result has become an icon for women in technology today. (We celebrate Ada's achievements ― and those of women in science, technology, engineering and maths ― every year on 'Ada Lovelace Day'.)
The story is a portrait of Ada, her young life and her friendship with mathematician Charles Babbage (who called Ada 'the Enchantress of Numbers') that inspired Ada to create what has become widely acknowledged as the World's first computer program. Ada's parents separated when when she was only a month old, and her father left England forever four months later. Ada's mother encouraged Ada's study of mathematics in part as a way to counter the 'madness' of Ada's father, Lord Byron, and his love of poetry. With evocative, flourishing writing and exquisite, whimsical 3D artwork, Fiona Robinson beautifully tells Ada's story, framing her visionary work on Babbage's Analytical Engine in the context of the time, and against the backdrop and challenges her unusual upbringing presented.
Grown Ups might be interested in Oxford University's Bodleian library's blog dedicated to Lovelace. Rachel Thomas at Plus magazine has written another excellent and accessible article here, and you may also enjoy this superb BBC documentary about Lovelace by mathematician Hannah Fry. If you want to delve a little deeper, consider 'Untangling the Tale of Ada Lovelace', an excellent biographical blog post by Stephen Wolfram. You can read a short, fascinating interview with Professor Ursula Martin, Professor of Computer Science at the University of Oxford about Lovelace's papers here and you may also the book by Martin, and her colleagues Christopher Hollings and Adrian Rice: 'Ada Lovelace: The Making of a Computer Scientist.'
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Written by Eugenia Cheng | Illustrated by Aleksandra Artymowska | Recommended for ages 8-12 | For more information see this review on the Goodreads website | See this page from teachingbooks.net for author interviews and activities to explore the book further with children | And see this more in depth review and exploration on Math Book Magic
This brilliant and beautifully presented interactive book charts the young girl Molly's journey of discovery as she ventures into a curious, puzzling world. Following a trail of clues, the reader is encouraged to help Molly solve them to continue her adventure. Author, concert pianist, artist and mathematician Eugenia Cheng engages the reader wonderfully and ― with Aleksandra Artymowska's fantastic illustrations and intricately constructed interactive devices ― makes us think! A world of Latin squares and logical paradoxes, of M.C. Escher–style settings, where insides and outsides are inverted, and where different types of symmetry and fractals are revealed, the 'implausible but not impossible' world that Molly journeys through exposes children to the important idea that mathematics is about imagination, it isn't just about numbers.
Grown Ups might be interested in the author's books about mathematics for adults. You will also find a curation of lots of other mathsy sources on her website, including resources for non-specialists, a fantastic set of videos, and more.
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Written by Jean-Luc Fromental | Illustrated by Joëlle Jolivet | Recommended for ages 5-7 | For more information see this review on the Goodreads website | See this page from teachingbooks.net for author interviews and activities to explore the book further with children
This funny, playful and uniquely illustrated book tells the story of a family's strange gifts from their ecologist Uncle Victor. With Global Warming revealed as the ultimate theme, author Jean-Luc Fromental's comical writing and Joëlle Jolivet's bold and striking illustrations combine to recount the travails of the family as they struggle to cope with the penguins that are delivered to them daily over the course of a year, and how they cleverly use arithmetic and properties of number to help them cope with diminishing space to house the penguins, food, and increasing costs.
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Written by Seth Fishman | Illustrated by Isabel Greenberg | Recommended for ages 8-10 | For more information see this review on the Goodreads website | See this page from teachingbooks.net for author interviews and lots of great activities to explore the book further with children | And see this more in depth review and exploration from Rhapsody in Books
This friendly and adorably illustrated book playfully tells the story of some 'big, enormous, gigantic, humongous, incredible numbers,' encouraging children's appreciation of the vastness of the universe. From estimating the amount of trees on Earth, and rabbits!, to estimating how many breaths we take in a lifetime and comparing the collective weights of humans and ants, author Seth Fishman's highly accessible writing combined with Isabel Greenberg's vibrant illustrations gently illuminate the gargantuan numbers of our Universe. The book encourages more questions, gently revealing the enormity of the task to appreciate just how huge some numbers are, and, indeed, why we should bother!
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Written by Kate Hosford | Illustrated by Gabi Swiatkowska | Recommended for ages 6-9 | For more information see this review on the Goodreads website | See this page from teachingbooks.net for author interviews and lots of great activities to explore the book further with children | See this page on the author's website for an interesting backstory | And see this more in depth review and exploration from The Marginalian
This utterly wonderful and heart-warming story recounts young Uma's contemplation of infinity. And all whilst wearing her red shoes. Author Kate Hosford's precise writing and the glorious images of renowned illustrator Gabi Swiatkowska combine to produce, in The Marginalian's words, 'an infinitely delightful parable of the inescapable humanity we bring to even the most intellectually ambitious inquiries.' In exploring a concept that is inherently fascinating to children, and which humanity has been grappling with for millennia, young Uma seeks the loving help of the people in her life, who respond with life-affirming and analogies that lead Uma to a heartening resolution.
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Written by Edmund Harriss and Houston Hughes | Illustrated by Brian Rea | Recommended ages 3-6 | For more information see this review on the Goodreads website | See the Publisher's page | And see this review and exploration from ChalkDust Magazine
The authors, mathematician Edmund Harriss who researches the Geometry of Tilings and Patterns, and the poet Houston Hughes, combine gloriously in this story of the numbers from zero to five. With its energetic Dr Seuss like rhyme, and Brian Rea's wonderful, colour-coded illustrations, the book reveals the story of these important numbers, hinting ― with each 'new one' revealing new personalities ― at deeper mathematics. Encouraging number play and exploration, the progressing story encourages the young reader to count, and induces thinking about properties of number, symmetry, angles, shapes, and more.
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