MathsThroughStories.org
  • HOME
  • ABOUT US
    • Research Team
    • On-line Contributors
    • Research Dissemination
    • Research Impact
    • SHOUTOUTS
    • Teacher Training / CPD Services
    • MEDIA APPEARANCES
  • RESOURCES
    • RECOMMENDATIONS
    • BLOG
    • NEWSLETTER
    • BOOK REVIEWS >
      • BOOK REVIEWS
      • INSPECTION COPIES
    • LESSON IDEAS
    • VIDEOS
    • CREATE YOUR OWN MATHEMATICAL STORIES >
      • GUIDELINE FOR MATHEMATICAL STORY AUTHORS
      • INTERVIEWS WITH MATHEMATICAL STORY AUTHORS
    • 'HOW TO' BOOKS
    • RESEARCH ARTICLES
    • PRACTITIONER-ORIENTED ARTICLES
  • COMPETITIONS
    • 2020 YMSA WINNING, SHORTLISTED AND LONGLISTED ENTRIES
    • 2019 YMSA WINNING AND SHORTLISTED ENTRIES
  • NEWS
  • CONTACT US
    • GET INVOLVED

EXPLORE OTHER 'PATTERNS' STORIES HERE

BUSY, BUSY, BUSY!
​
Author: Haneul Ddang
​Illustrator: Seong-ji Hong

Picture
Number of pages: 28
Publisher: big & SMALL Publishing (Australia)
First published in: Unknown
​Translated into English in: 2015
Format: Picturebook

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

Preview and/or purchase this book on the Amazon websites: UK, USA, AUS, CAN

Synopsis by the author/publisher
The animals in the forest are very busy. They are making beautiful repeating patterns with fruits and flowers, sounds, and colors. What are all these patterns for? Why are they all so busy? Are they getting ready for a party?​
“Mother Fox arranges the chairs. Red chair, yellow chair, blue chair. Baby Fox follows Mother Fox. Red chair, yellow chair, blue chair, red chair, yellow chair, blue chair.”
Official review by MathsThroughStories.org:
Haneul Ddang’s ‘Busy, Busy, Busy!’ is part of the world’s largest mathematical story picture book series, called TanTan Math Story (70+ titles). The English translation of this original South Korean version was done in 2015. The story is about different animal families are seen busy making repeated patterns of objects, colours and sounds. For example, a chain of different flowers being carefully made, a series of little balls of different colours being hung on the end of some lace, different kinds of lines being drawn on walls, chairs of different colours being arranged around a table, and sounds of different musical instruments being made. The purpose of this hive of activity is not revealed until the end of the story. The story is useful in showing very young children that patterns are not only about what they can see, but patterns also include what they cannot see like sounds too. Like most titles in this series, the book comes with a few mathematical word problems relating to the story to be solved at the end of the story. All in all, ‘Busy, Busy, Busy!’ is a useful story to introduce the concept of patterns to children aged 4+ years old. 

​Recommended age range: 
4+ years old

Relevant mathematics topics: 
Patterns

​
Possible teaching activities:
At MathsThroughStories.org, we believe that stories can be meaningfully incorporated in mathematics teaching in different ways. Thus, we are inviting you to share your experience of how you have used this story in your mathematics lesson with other members of the community. By sharing your experience with us, you will be added to our team of On-line Contributors here, where you can also find our submission guideline.

​mathsthroughstories.org

Picture

ABOUT US

MathsThroughStories.org is a non-profit and research-based initiative, based at the University of Reading's Institute of Education (UK).

It sets out to help mathematics learners around the world develop their conceptual understanding in mathematics and to help them foster positive attitudes towards the subject through  the power of storytelling.

Contact Us

  • HOME
  • ABOUT US
    • Research Team
    • On-line Contributors
    • Research Dissemination
    • Research Impact
    • SHOUTOUTS
    • Teacher Training / CPD Services
    • MEDIA APPEARANCES
  • RESOURCES
    • RECOMMENDATIONS
    • BLOG
    • NEWSLETTER
    • BOOK REVIEWS >
      • BOOK REVIEWS
      • INSPECTION COPIES
    • LESSON IDEAS
    • VIDEOS
    • CREATE YOUR OWN MATHEMATICAL STORIES >
      • GUIDELINE FOR MATHEMATICAL STORY AUTHORS
      • INTERVIEWS WITH MATHEMATICAL STORY AUTHORS
    • 'HOW TO' BOOKS
    • RESEARCH ARTICLES
    • PRACTITIONER-ORIENTED ARTICLES
  • COMPETITIONS
    • 2020 YMSA WINNING, SHORTLISTED AND LONGLISTED ENTRIES
    • 2019 YMSA WINNING AND SHORTLISTED ENTRIES
  • NEWS
  • CONTACT US
    • GET INVOLVED