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EXPLORE OTHER '2D SHAPES' STORIES HERE
EXPLORE OTHER '3D SHAPES' STORIES HERE

CIRCLE! SPHERE!
Author: Grace Lin
​Illustrator: Grace Lin

Picture
Number of pages: 14
Publisher: Charlesbridge (USA)
First published in: 2020
Format: Picturebook

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

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

Synopsis by the author/publisher
Manny and his friends Olivia and Mei blow bubbles in this playful introduction to geometry. Manny's wand is a circle. Olivia's wand is a square. Mei's wand is a heart. What shape will their bubbles be? (Surprise! They're all spheres.) The Storytelling Math series shows that all children can be mathematical thinkers. Each book includes ideas for exploring math at home with your children, developed in collaboration with math experts at STEM education nonprofit TERC Inc., under a grant from the Heising-Simons Foundation.
“My wand is a circle. I blow! My bubble is a ball - a sphere!”
Official review by MathsThroughStories.org:
Grace Lin’s ‘Circle! Sphere!’ (2020) is a part of Charlesbridge’s Storytelling Math series which promotes diversity (e.g., gender and ethnicity) in mathematical stories. This is a small 14-page board book which follows three young friends, Manny, Olivia and Mei, as they play together by blowing bubbles using wands of different shapes (a circle, a triangle and a heart). The story makes a very important point to very young readers about the difference between 2D and 3D shapes (e.g., that the wand with a circular head makes bubbles in the shape of a ball or a sphere). The story has a very simple storyline which is arguably appropriate for the very young readers that the story is meant for. Similarly, the amount of text per page is age-appropriate too. Like the other titles in the series, there are also a few activity ideas given at the back of the book. All in all, ‘Circle! Sphere!’ can be a useful story ​to introduce the concept of 2D and 3D shapes to children, aged 3+ years old. (Disclaimer: We received a complimentary inspection copy of this book from the publisher/author.)

Recommended age range: 
3+ years old

Relevant mathematics topics: 
2D Shapes; 3D Shapes

​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

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ABOUT US

MathsThroughStories.org is a non-profit 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
    • 2024 YMSA WINNING, SHORTLISTED AND LONGLISTED ENTRIES
    • 2023 YMSA WINNING, SHORTLISTED AND LONGLISTED ENTRIES
    • 2022 YMSA WINNING, SHORTLISTED AND LONGLISTED ENTRIES
    • 2021 YMSA WINNING, SHORTLISTED AND LONGLISTED ENTRIES
    • 2020 YMSA WINNING, SHORTLISTED AND LONGLISTED ENTRIES
    • 2019 YMSA WINNING AND SHORTLISTED ENTRIES
  • NEWS
  • CONTACT US
    • GET INVOLVED