ZERO
Author: Kathryn Otoshi
Illustrator: Kathryn Otoshi
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Number of pages: 32
Publisher: KO Kids Books (USA) First published in: 2010 Format: Picturebook Is the mathematical focus explicit in the story? No Is this story part of a mathematics story series? Yes (Kathryn Otoshi's Number Books) Click here to preview and/or purchase this book via the Amazon (UK) website Synopsis by the author/publisher
Zero is a big round number. When she looks at herself, she just sees a hole right in her center. Every day she watches the other numbers line up to count: "1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 ...!" "Those numbers have value. That's why they count," she thinks. But how could a number worth nothing become something? Zero feels empty inside. She watches One having fun with the other numbers. One has bold strokes and squared corners. Zero is big and round with no corners at all. "If I were like One, then I can count too," she thinks. So she pushes and pulls, stretches and straightens, forces and flattens herself, but in the end she realizes that she can only be Zero. As budding young readers learn about numbers and counting, they are also introduced to accepting different body types, developing social skills and character, and learning what it means to find value in yourself and in others. |
“Zero was a big round number. When she looked at herself, she just saw a hole ... right in her center. Every day she watched the numbers line up. She wanted to count too. But how could a number worth nothing become something? Zero felt empty inside.”
Official review by MathsThroughStories.org:
Coming soon!
Recommended age range:
6 years old +
Relevant mathematics topics:
Zero
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.
Coming soon!
Recommended age range:
6 years old +
Relevant mathematics topics:
Zero
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.
