Seven Golden Rings: A Tale of Music and Math

by Rajani LaRocca, Archana Sreenivasan (Illustrator)

Overview

In this clever, convivial picture book, an Indian boy untangles a mathematical conundrum to win a place at the Rajah's court.

In ancient India, a boy named Bhagat travels to the Rajah's city, hoping to ensure his family's prosperity by winning a place at court as a singer. Bhagat carries his family's entire fortune—a single coin and a chain of seven golden rings—to pay for his lodging. But when the innkeeper demands one ring per night, and every link snipped costs one coin, how can Bhagat both break the chain and avoid overpaying? His inventive solution points the way to an unexpected triumph, and offers readers a friendly lesson in binary numbers—the root of all computing.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781885008978
Publisher:	Lee & Low Books
Publication date:	10/27/2020
Pages:	40
Sales rank:	296,057
Product dimensions:	9.10(w) x 10.90(h) x 0.50(d)
Age Range:	7 - 10 Years

About the Author

Rajani LaRocca is the author of many acclaimed novels and picture books for children, including Red, White, and Whole which received the Newbery Honor. She was born in Bangalore, India, and immigrated to the US with her parents when she was a baby. She graduated from Harvard with both a BA and an MD, and has worked as a primary care physician since 2001. Rajani lives in Concord, Massachusetts, with her family. Visit her online at rajanilarocca.com.

Archana Sreenivasan is the illustrator of several children's books including the star-reviewed Desert Girl, Monsoon Boy by Tara Dairman; the award-winning Where Three Oceans Meet by Rajani LaRocca; and My Bindi by Gita Varadarajan. She made her author-illustrator debut with her board book India on a Plate! Archana is based in Bangalore, India. Please visit her on the web at archanasreenivasan.com.

Editorial Reviews

★ 10/19/2020

When Bhagat leaves his village in India to seek his fortune as the rajah’s musician, his mother gives him one rupee, a chain with seven tiny gold rings, and some invaluable advice: “Remember, Bhagat, you are a fine singer. But you are an even finer thinker.” A city innkeeper agrees to accept one gold ring as payment for each night stayed, but Bhagat can only afford to pay the goldsmith to break one link. Is there a way to divide the chain so that no ring goes to waste? Bhagat’s clever solution ends up unexpectedly making his fortune, and sets the stage for an engrossing explanation of base 10 and binary number systems in the author’s note. LaRocca’s story, cast in the cadence of classic folktales, is enlivened by the contrast of Sreenivasan’s cartoon illustrations, which render tableaux in a magenta-tinged palette. A deft and engaging introduction to a sometimes flummoxing subject. Ages 7–10. (Oct.)

Publishers Weekly

2020-08-18
Once upon a time there lived a rajah who, despite his good nature, lacked the mathematical ability to properly govern his kingdom….

As a result, his people suffer. One such is Bhagat, a nimble-thinking and hardworking but impoverished young man who lives with his mother in a distant village. Bhagat is a passionate singer, so when he hears that the king is holding auditions for the royal troupe, he travels to the palace to audition. Due to his family’s poverty, Bhagat is able to carry only 1 rupee and seven links from his mother’s wedding chain. When he arrives at his destination, the innkeepers demand a ring in advance for every night that Bhagat stays, but the goldsmith charges 1 rupee per link to break it. How can Bhagat make the necklace last without wasting a single link? With some clever reasoning and base two math, Bhagat makes his resources stretch long enough to get an audience with the rajah—and a new, unexpected opportunity. This heartwarming rags-to-riches story is accompanied by vivid illustrations that pulse with detail, movement, and color. However, the middle of the story consists mostly of expository text detailing different ways to divide the set of seven rings into multiple parts, an abstract diversion that brings the plot to a grinding halt. An author’s note discusses base 10 and binary systems. (This book was reviewed digitally with 9-by-22-inch double-page spreads viewed at 36.1% of actual size.)

A cleverly imagined story with a delightful premise but uneven plot. (Picture book. 5-8)

Kirkus Reviews

* "Bhagat's clever solution ends up unexpectedly making his fortune, and sets the stage for an engrossing explanation of base 10 and binary number systems in the author's note. LaRocca's story, cast in the cadence of classic folktales, is enlivened by the contrast of Sreenivasan's cartoon illustrations. . . Deft and engaging." — Publishers Weekly, starred review

* "Charming. . . This succeeds both as an entertaining read-aloud and as a teasing introduction to the binary system." — Booklist, starred review

"This heartwarming rags-to-riches story is accompanied by vivid illustrations that pulse with detail, movement, and color. . . A cleverly imagined story." — Kirkus Reviews

"Adventure, suspense and a surprise ending make Rajani LaRocca's enchanting picture book debut, Seven Golden Rings, an amusing lesson about the importance of math." — Shelf Awareness

Charlotte Awards Nominee 2023 - New York State Reading Association
Delaware Diamonds Awards - Diamond State Reading Association
Massachusetts Book Award Honor - Massachusetts Center for the Book
Mathical Book Prize Winner - Mathematical Sciences Research Institute
Washington Children’s Choice Picture Book Award Nominee 2023 - Washington Library Association

From the Publisher