EXPLORE OTHER 'FACTORIAL' STORIES HERE

ANNO'S MYSTERIOUS MULTIPLYING JAR​
Author: Masaichiro Anno and Mitsumasa Anno​
​Illustrator: Masaichiro Anno and Mitsumasa Anno​

Number of pages: 48
Publisher: Puffin Books​ (UK)
First published in: 1983
Format: Picturebook

Is the mathematical focus explicit in the story? Yes
Is this story part of a mathematics story series? Yes (Anno)

Click here to preview and/or purchase this book via the Amazon (UK) website 

Synopsis by the author/publisher
​'Factorial' is a word that mathematicians use to describe a special kind of numerical relationship. The mathematical symbol for a factorial is an exclamation mark! [...] Just by turning the pages of this book, you can see how quickly numbers in this kind of patterns grow - from 1 to 2 to 6 to 24 and so on to a quite stupendous number. 

“On the island, there were 2 countries. Within each country, there were 3 mountains. On each mountain, there were 4 walled kingdoms. Within each walled kingdom, there were 5 villages. In each village, there were 6 houses. In each house, there were 7 rooms. In each room, there were 8 cupboards. Within each cupboard, there were 9 boxes. Within each box, there were 10 jars. But how many jars were in all the boxes together? The answer is surprising. There were 10! jars.”

Recommended age range: 
10 years old + 

Relevant mathematics topics: 
Factorial

​Possible learning activities:
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