Count on Me

by Miguel Tanco

Overview

A young girl sees the world differently in this beautiful picture book celebration of math.

Everyone has a passion. For some, it's music. For others, it's art. For our heroine, it's math. When she looks around the world, she sees math in all the beautiful things: the concentric circles a stone makes in a lake, the curve of a slide, the geometric shapes in the playground. Others don't understand her passion, but she doesn't mind. There are infinite ways to see the world. And through math is one of them.

This book is a gorgeous ode to something vital but rarely celebrated. In the eyes of this little girl, math takes its place alongside painting, drawing and song as a way to ponder the beauty of the world.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780735265752
Publisher:	Tundra
Publication date:	06/11/2019
Pages:	48
Product dimensions:	8.40(w) x 11.60(h) x 0.50(d)
Age Range:	3 - 7 Years

About the Author

Award-winning artist MIGUEL TANCO is a children's book author and illustrator. He teaches illustration and organizes creative workshops for kids in Spain, where he was born and raised, and in Italy. He has published over forty children's books including My Best Friend; Great Dog; You and Me, Me and You; Les Farfelus; and The Story of Cyrano de Bergerac. He lives in Milan with his wife, Federica, and their two sons, Pablo and Javier.

Editorial Reviews

07/15/2019

Committed to pinpointing her passion, a brown-skinned girl observes her painter father, entomologist mother, and budding musician brother pursue theirs. At school, she delves into the many possibilities at hand—performance, cookery, and sports—but nothing sticks. At last, she admits to a love of math, which she takes deep pleasure in seeing everywhere: “There are geometric shapes on the playground. And when we go to the lake, I skip stones to see the concentric circles form in the water.” Muted watercolor illustrations by Tanco perfectly accompany the dreamy lilt of the text as the child finds “the perfect curve” of the slide and launches a paper airplane. The occasional appearance of complex equations may feel baffling to readers within the stated age range, but the volume reminds readers that “there are infinite ways to see the world.” Back matter includes an illustrated notebook explaining highlighted mathematical concepts. A beautifully rendered love letter to math. Ages 3–7. (June)

Publishers Weekly

Featured in School Library Journal's list of top 2019 Math Picture Books

PRAISE FOR Count on Me:

"Tanco’s open, loose-lined illustrations offer visual dimension and definition . . . [and i]f readers aren’t math-curious at the start, they will be by the end.” —Kirkus Reviews

“This gentle, humorous book is a thoughtful counterpoint to math anxiety.”—Booklist

“Muted watercolor illustrations by Tanco perfectly accompany the dreamy lilt of the text as the child finds ‘the perfect curve’ of the slide and launches a paper airplane. . . . A beautifully rendered love letter to math.” —Publishers Weekly

"[A] book that so tenderly celebrates math – and a young girl’s love for it.” —The Horn Book

“This delightful picture book makes readers, young and old, reflect on the beauty of the world through fresh eyes . . . a great addition to any school or public library.” —Resource Links

“A picture book that celebrates different ways of looking at the world and a useful tool for any classroom or personal library collection.” —School Library Journal

“Tanco’s writing is spare and succinct, paired with striking illustrations that are casually detailed. . . . [This book] celebrates math —band a young girl’s love for it.” —Horn Book Magazine

"It’s simple and charming and rare. Everything you need in a math book." —School Library Journal 

From the Publisher

06/01/2019

Gr 1–4—A young girl understands that everyone has a passion. Her father's is art, her mother's science, her brother's music. Her passion is math. She sees math wherever she goes—on the playground, at the lake, in her toys, and in solving real-life problems. The girl keeps a journal of math concepts that fascinate her and this journal helps explain the concepts highlighted in the story, such as fractals, basic polygons, concentric circles, types of curves, solid figures, types of trajectories, and kinds of sets. Each journal page gives a definition for the featured concept along with illustrations. This picture book for elementary age students is a great tool for teachers to use to kick off the school year, acknowledging that everyone is good at something and that the diversity of interests and abilities is what makes the world interesting and beautiful. The book is also useful for introducing the concept of a math journal or even as an introduction or tip sheet for any of the aforementioned concepts. The illustrations are simple and succinct, with clean lines making it easy to recognize the math concepts that are being represented. The colors are subtle and applied in a manner that lends the book a fresh, clean feel. VERDICT A picture book that celebrates different ways of looking at the world and a useful tool for any classroom or personal library collection.—Amy Shepherd, St. Anne's Episcopal School, Middleton, DE

School Library Journal