THE RAFT RACE
Author: Lorna Greengrass
Illustrator: Pauline Gregory
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Number of pages: 24
Publisher: Oxford University Press First published in: 2025 Format: Picturebook Is the mathematical focus explicit in the story? No Is this story part of a mathematics story series? Yes (Stories for Maths series) Preview and/or purchase this book on the Amazon websites: UK Synopsis by the author/publisher
Gus and his friends are taking part in a raft race against a team of animals from the other side of the river. As they line up at the start, both teams want to win. One team takes a very early lead, but who will cross the finish line first? Stories for Maths helps develop maths success through the power of story. |
“Zig and Jazz found two short branches. Gus and Herb found two long branches. Meg found the longest branch of all!”
Official review by MathsThroughStories.org:
Lorna Greengrass’s ‘The Raft Race’ (2025) is part of Oxford University Press’s new Stories for Maths series. The story follows Gus the giraffe and his friends - Herb the hippo, Jazz and Zig the zebras, and Meg the bat - as they participate in an exciting raft race against Croak the stork and his team. The challenge? Build a raft using branches and logs of varying lengths, navigate a river full of obstacles, and be the first to paddle under the bridge. The story cleverly integrates mathematical concepts of length and height into the action-packed narrative. The vibrant illustrations by Pauline Gregory play a crucial role in supporting this learning. For example, the images of animals collecting branches clearly depict differences in length, allowing children to visually compare the short branches found by the zebras with the longer ones found by Gus and Herb. Similarly, the drawings of rocks rising from the rapids provide a tangible way to compare heights, fostering a deeper understanding of measurement. What stands out most is the suggested question prompts at the bottom of many of the pages (e.g., "Which crocodile is longer?" and "Which rock is the tallest?"), which encourage children to engage with the story while practising mathematical thinking. That said, these mathematical concepts feel secondary to the storyline, and more meaningful and explicit integration of these concepts into the characters' problem-solving process could strengthen the story’s pedagogical impact (e.g., how the characters’ knowledge of measurement comparison could help them win the raft race). All in all, we recommend ‘The Raft Race’ to introduce (or reinforce) the concept of measurement comparison, particularly in relation to length and height, to children aged 4+ years old. (Disclaimer: We received a complimentary inspection copy of this book from the publisher/author.)
Recommended age range:
4+ years old
Relevant mathematics topics:
Measurement comparison
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.
Lorna Greengrass’s ‘The Raft Race’ (2025) is part of Oxford University Press’s new Stories for Maths series. The story follows Gus the giraffe and his friends - Herb the hippo, Jazz and Zig the zebras, and Meg the bat - as they participate in an exciting raft race against Croak the stork and his team. The challenge? Build a raft using branches and logs of varying lengths, navigate a river full of obstacles, and be the first to paddle under the bridge. The story cleverly integrates mathematical concepts of length and height into the action-packed narrative. The vibrant illustrations by Pauline Gregory play a crucial role in supporting this learning. For example, the images of animals collecting branches clearly depict differences in length, allowing children to visually compare the short branches found by the zebras with the longer ones found by Gus and Herb. Similarly, the drawings of rocks rising from the rapids provide a tangible way to compare heights, fostering a deeper understanding of measurement. What stands out most is the suggested question prompts at the bottom of many of the pages (e.g., "Which crocodile is longer?" and "Which rock is the tallest?"), which encourage children to engage with the story while practising mathematical thinking. That said, these mathematical concepts feel secondary to the storyline, and more meaningful and explicit integration of these concepts into the characters' problem-solving process could strengthen the story’s pedagogical impact (e.g., how the characters’ knowledge of measurement comparison could help them win the raft race). All in all, we recommend ‘The Raft Race’ to introduce (or reinforce) the concept of measurement comparison, particularly in relation to length and height, to children aged 4+ years old. (Disclaimer: We received a complimentary inspection copy of this book from the publisher/author.)
Recommended age range:
4+ years old
Relevant mathematics topics:
Measurement comparison
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.
