Comments on: 7 Math Storybooks Every Child Should Read, No. 2: Quack and Count http://www.dreambox.com/blog/7-math-storybooks-every-child-should-read-quack-and-count Math Learning, Fun & Education Blog : Dreambox Learning Thu, 18 Mar 2010 13:33:45 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.5 hourly 1 By: Alyssa http://www.dreambox.com/blog/7-math-storybooks-every-child-should-read-quack-and-count/comment-page-1#comment-3008 Alyssa Fri, 31 Jul 2009 16:40:24 +0000 http://www.dreambox.com/blog/?p=2977#comment-3008 Thanks for the comment Doug! I also remember that story from when I was young, and it is definitely a classic with math, morals, culture, and fun all in one story. Thanks for the comment Doug! I also remember that story from when I was young, and it is definitely a classic with math, morals, culture, and fun all in one story.

]]> By: Doug Stein http://www.dreambox.com/blog/7-math-storybooks-every-child-should-read-quack-and-count/comment-page-1#comment-2944 Doug Stein Wed, 29 Jul 2009 18:16:06 +0000 http://www.dreambox.com/blog/?p=2977#comment-2944 If you haven't seen this one, I recommend "The Rajah's Rice: A Mathematical Folktale from India" by David Barry (ISBN 978-0716765684). This is a 32-page picture book published in 1994 that tells the tale of a young girl who outsmarts a greedy raja (who has taken all the rice from the poor) when she saves his sick elephants and is granted a reward. She asks merely that he place a grain of rice on the first square of his chessboard and then double it for each successive square. By the time he gets partway to the 5th row of the chessboard he's totally emptied all his storehouses. He says he can't do it and asks her to choose a different reward. She merely asks him to let the villagers keep most of their rice in the future. The book ends with the raja asking how much rice it would have taken to finish the chessboard. The girl replies, "all India, knee-deep in rice". Both of my kids (now 20 and 24) loved this book when it was new and they were 5 and 9 respectively. I think it's out of print, but Amazon lists a number of copies (used and new). Enjoy! Doug Stein If you haven’t seen this one, I recommend “The Rajah’s Rice: A Mathematical Folktale from India” by David Barry (ISBN 978-0716765684).

This is a 32-page picture book published in 1994 that tells the tale of a young girl who outsmarts a greedy raja (who has taken all the rice from the poor) when she saves his sick elephants and is granted a reward.

She asks merely that he place a grain of rice on the first square of his chessboard and then double it for each successive square. By the time he gets partway to the 5th row of the chessboard he’s totally emptied all his storehouses. He says he can’t do it and asks her to choose a different reward. She merely asks him to let the villagers keep most of their rice in the future.

The book ends with the raja asking how much rice it would have taken to finish the chessboard. The girl replies, “all India, knee-deep in rice”.

Both of my kids (now 20 and 24) loved this book when it was new and they were 5 and 9 respectively. I think it’s out of print, but Amazon lists a number of copies (used and new).

Enjoy!

Doug Stein

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