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EXPLORE OTHER 'SYMMETRY' STORIES HERE

WHAT HAPPENED AT WIZARD SCHOOL
Author: Cecil Kim
​Illustrator: Joo-yoon Lee

Picture
Number of pages: 36
Publisher: TanTan Publishing
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
​Bong Bong gets an sick. He must find ten symmetric objects in order to cure his illness. Learn with Bong Bong as he discovers symmetry in different things such as the school building, crystal ball and frogs. Elementary math concepts that relate to space, shape and symmetry highlight a rollicking tale about the misadventures of a resourceful wizard.
“Everybody was staring at me again. I was worried but then I noticed something interesting. The school building was symmetrical. "Aha!" I said. "The first symmetrical thing I found is our school."”
Official review by MathsThroughStories.org:
Cecil Kim’s ‘What Happened Wizard School’ 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 follows Bong-Bong, a young wizard who wakes up one morning to find one side of his body not symmetrical to the other side of his body (“a bad case of a mismatch disease”). According to the wizard doctor, the cure is to find ten different symmetrical things. Throughout the story, Bong-Bong discovers that, in fact, there are several symmetrical things all around him (e.g. symmetrical buildings, symmetrical leaves and symmetrical paintings, etc.). Mathematically speaking, the story does a good job in introducing to young children the concept of symmetry and to highlight that symmetry can be found in their everyday life. That said, the use of this condition as a focus of the story and its portrayal (“how could I go to her party looking like a clown instead of a wizard?”) can arguably be insensitive to some, if not many. 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, ‘What Happened Wizard School’ is a good story to introduce the concept of symmetry to children aged 5+ years old. (Disclaimer: We received a complimentary inspection copy of this book from the publisher/author)

Recommended age range:
 
5+ years old

Relevant mathematics topics: 
​Symmetry

​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.

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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