Maths Stories

Stories with a mathemetical theme are an enjoyable way to show maths in action.

Ten Sleeepy Sloths
by Neil Griffiths, illustrated by Judith Blake
(Red Robin Books)
Rhyming text and funny illustrations combine here to give a fun way to practise subtraction number bonds. The book is designed to be sung to the tune of Ten Green Bottles, but each spread shows a different group of animals and often two or three drop out, instead of just one (as in the song). Good for bedtime or for class use.
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Don't Count Your Chickens
Simon Puttock
( Macmillan)
Six year old Ruth May Leghorn's visit to a chicken show triggers a passion for chickens. She demands some of her own and is given two, (an indulged child, she's used to getting what she wants). So, two becomes four, four becomes eight and then, despite reservations from both parents and chickens, eight becomes sixteen. Ruth May is ecstatic but not so the hens who run away to the park and their own version of multiplication - free-range style.
    A fun way to learn about doubling numbers but underlying this wacky tale is an important message: real love implies giving your loved ones space and freedom to do their own thing. Bright zany, action-packed cartoon like illustrations add to the fun of this picture book.
(reviewed by Jill Bennett)
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Eric the Red
by Caroline Glicksman
(Red Fox)
Eric the Red is a very unusual bear. He loves numbers. He's also the only one at the bank who knows the combination to the safe so, when the bank is robbed, it's up to him to remember the numbers and save the hostage. A picture book with an element of excitement to hold children's interest.
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Spinderella
by Julia Donaldson, illustrated by Liz Pichon
(Egmont)
Spinderella, the spider, is different from her mum and her brothers. She's interested in numbers but they're not. They are happy to just talk about 'lots' and 'loads', but it's hard to play football if you can't keep score and the teams are different sizes. Helped by her Hairy Godmother, Spinderella learns how to count and uses numbers to make football much more fun. A delightful story with completely non-scary spiders.
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All the Little Ones and a Half
by Mary Murphy
(Random House)
Seven little Ones and a Half live happily together in their house surrounded by their neighbours who are Twos and Threes. Then a big, bad Hundred comes along demanding their house because he is bigger. Luckily the Ones realise that if all the numbers get together (not forgetting the Half), they add up to more than a hundred so they can chase him away.
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The Nightspinners
by Kate Petty, illustrated by Mary Claire Smith
(Orion)
Ariane is a weaver. She weaves such beautiful cloth that Queen Heartless takes her captive to make sure she can only weave cloth for her. She sets Ariane harder and harder tasks until finally she demands a ballgown that shimmers like the morning dew. Ariane is is too tired to make it but a spider comes to her help. It weaves a small square of silk. Then it asks two other spiders to each weave one and ask two other spiders to help. The constant doubling makes the number of spiders grows rapidly, so in the morning, the silk is ready. However, Queen Heartless doesn't see it - she only sees one thousand and twenty three spiders who climb all over her so Ariane can escape. A well-told fairy tale that tempts children to explore the maths within it.
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Red Riding Hood's Maths Adventure
by Lalie Harcourt and Ricki Wortzman
(Frances Lincoln)
Red Riding Hood is off to grandma's with a basket full of cookies but on the way she meets a variety of fairy tale characters. When each one asks for some cookies, you turn a wheel to choose what happens next. The options are to give them nothing at all, one cookie or two and Red Riding Hood's cat asks you how many are left. An enjoyable way to introduce and practise subtraction, especially if you use a basket of fake (or real) cookies to help your child work out the maths.
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