★ 03/16/2020
In his small Indian village, the child Ramanujan asks: “What is small?... What is big?” He contemplates this problem in creative ways: “A mango is like an egg. It is just one thing. But if I chop it in two, then chop the half in two, and keep on chopping, I get more and more bits... to an infinity I could never ever reach. Yet when I put them back together, I still have just one mango.” Alznauer deftly uses Ramanujan’s ponderings to illustrate complex mathematical concepts, including prime numbers, partitions, and infinite sums. Despite his brilliance (or perhaps because of it), Ramanujan struggles: “ ‘I am like the first man in the world with no one to hear me speak,’ he thought.” Eventually, his genius is recognized—and his work still sparks wonder among mathematicians today. Lush watercolors by Miyares capture the lyrical details of Ramanujan’s world. Ages 5–9. (Apr.)
The perceptive text offers anecdotes that enable readers to see many sides of Ramanujan, portraying him as a genius who, driven to pursue his passion, produced work of lasting value. Miyares uses colored inks skillfully, creating vivid, imaginative scenes that help viewers envision Ramanujan’s story and its setting. An illuminating picture-book biography of a fascinating, singular figure in the history of mathematics.
—Booklist (starred review)
Alznauer is a mathematician herself, and her loving tribute evokes Ramanujan's early years with rich and authentic detail, which Miyares' luminous compositions bring vividly to the page...A fascinating story beautifully told.
—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
Alznauer deftly uses Ramanujan’s ponderings to illustrate complex mathematical concepts, including prime numbers, partitions, and infinite sums. Despite his brilliance (or perhaps because of it), Ramanujan struggles: “?‘I am like the first man in the world with no one to hear me speak,’ he thought.” Eventually, his genius is recognized—and his work still sparks wonder among mathematicians today. Lush watercolors by Miyares capture the lyrical details of Ramanujan’s world.
—Publishers Weekly (starred review)
The lively, delicate ink drawings capture the sights, colors, and culture of India and, on some pages, depict numbers playfully cavorting, just as they tumbled in Ramanujan’s brain. Best for talented math students and others who enjoy exploring favorite subjects independently. Recommended for schools and large public collections; useful where STEM biographies are needed.
—School Library Journal
This eloquently written picture-book biography gives voice to the brilliant—and self-taught—mathematician Srinivasa Iyengar Ramanujan...Miyares’s ink-wash illustrations play with light and dark in realistic scenes and whimsical number-filled spreads.
—The Horn Book
01/01/2020
Gr 4–6—This admiring picture book biography of Indian-born mathematical genius Srinivasa Ramanujan (1887–1920) opens with his early childhood. He liked to ponder complex questions about numbers, which his teachers were unequipped to answer. As he grew older, Ramanujan worked feverishly to find solutions, each leading to more questions and answers. His ideas evolved over time, and he developed unique formulas to solve them. In his early 20s, at the urging of colleagues and friends, Ramanujan wrote to mathematicians at Cambridge University about his theories. One last letter earned an invitation, and he sailed to Britain in 1914. He died at age 32, but his mathematical contributions live on. This engaging volume portrays the development of a brilliant, inquisitive mind and includes text inspired by the subject's own words. Students will learn terms in Tamil (definitions provided through context). While some concepts may confound the mathematically challenged, Ramanujan's resilience should motivate students to hold onto their passions. Oddly, his birth and death dates aren't given and are absent in the informative author's note. The lively, delicate ink drawings capture the sights, colors, and culture of India and, on some pages, depict numbers playfully cavorting, just as they tumbled in Ramanujan's brain. VERDICT Best for talented math students and others who enjoy exploring favorite subjects independently. Recommended for schools and large public collections; useful where STEM biographies are needed.—Carol Goldman, formerly at Queens Library, NY
★ 2020-01-26
Srinivasa Ramanujan was a self-taught genius whose original insights into number theory still inspire mathematicians today.
Ramanujan was born in 1887 into a Tamil family in South India. Before his birth, his grandmother dreamed that the goddess Namagiri “would write the thoughts of God on his tongue.” As a young boy growing up in temple towns, Ramanujan hated traditional classrooms and often ran away from school, but he was captivated by numbers, big and small. Gorgeous watercolor spreads show how “numbers came whispering in dreams” and “would rush across the pages in circles and packs.” He pondered complex ideas such as infinite series, number partitions, and primes; he entered high school at 10 and solved college-level problems at 15, but he couldn’t focus on anything except math. He failed college and lived in poverty and isolation, still pursuing his research with mystical zeal, “trying to learn the thoughts of God.” Eventually, his persistent attempts to find a kindred spirit paid off. Following Namagiri’s promptings, he sailed away to share his work with the best mathematicians in England. Alznauer is a mathematician herself, and her loving tribute evokes Ramanujan’s early years with rich and authentic detail, which Miyares’ luminous compositions bring vividly to the page. All characters are Indian and have brown skin and hair.
A fascinating story beautifully told. (author’s note, bibliography) (Picture book/biography. 6-10)
Narrator Soneela Nankani instills this audiobook with youthful wonder. She provides a distinct voice for each character and handles the Indian pronunciations with ease. A diverse soundtrack accompanies the narration, immersing listeners in the tale of Ramanujan, the boy who would reinvent modern mathematics. As he grew up, Ramanujan was so busy exploring numbers that he struggled with the rest of his schoolwork, even failing out of college. But after reaching out to Cambridge University, despite his lack of formal education, he received an invitation to England to share his ideas with other mathematicians. Sound effects, such as gentle rain, chalk on slate, and splashing water immerse listeners in this biography. A.K.R. © AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine