“In the footsteps of Tom Lehrer, Chris Smith shows that you are never too young to have fun with maths.” - Johnny Ball, TV presenter and lifelong maths lover
**Shortlisted for The Week Junior Book Awards 2024 - Children's Book of the Year: STEM Book**
**Shortlisted for the School Library Association's Information Book Award 2024**
**Books for Topics Recommended Reads: 50 Best Books for Year 1**
**Chalkdust Readers' Choice 2023**
That's Mathematics is a maths book like no other. It's a vibrant, colourful book for young children showing them that maths is useful, interesting, fun and EVERYWHERE! They use it every day when they count, share, play, do sport, make cakes or move to music.
Aimed at children from 5 to 8 years, the youngest can enjoy it as a picture book, reading Lehrer's rhyming song lyrics and looking at Elina Braslina's joyful illustrations. They will pick up a basic understanding of real-world maths and learn some core maths language along the way. Older children are challenged to 'Try This' and 'Explore This' by author Chris Smith, who is a maths teacher, musician and all-round maths enthusiast. The activities are designed to deepen their curiosity and knowledge.
There are supporting online activities to continue the fun, plus notes for parents to encourage you to get involved and help you discuss topics covered and keep the learning going after the book is closed.
Tom Lehrer is an American satirist, singer-songwriter, musician and mathematician, most famous for his humorous songs from the 1950s and 60s, including The Elements, a tongue-twisting song with lyrics made up of every element in the Periodic Table. He began writing and performing his songs at Harvard University where he studied mathematics from the age of 15. After multiple albums, he largely gave up performing and began to teach mathematics at Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the US, moving to the University of California in the 1970s. In 2020, at the age of 92, Lehrer donated all the lyrics and music written by him to the public domain.
"His scathing creations remain one of the most original – not to mention mathematically elegant – bodies of artistic work to come out of the United States in the twentieth century." Andrew Robinson, author and journalist (Nature.com)
"The cleverest and funniest man of the 20th century" Daniel Radcliffe (after singing The Elements on TV in 2020)
Former Scottish Teacher of the Year, Chris Smith teaches, tweets, dreams and sings songs about maths. In 2020, Chris and a team of famous UK mathematical YouTubers created a video performing this song, which was the inspiration for the book. Chris hopes it will inspire a generation of mini mathematicians.
"The world would be a better place if Mr Smith was everyone's maths teacher! Here's your chance to join him on a fabulously entertaining journey exploring how each of us is using Maths all the time." Bobby Seagull, mathematician, broadcaster and writer
Elina Braslina has illustrated over 25 children’s and YA books by authors from her home country of Latvia. Her board books by Lawrence Schimel depicting LGBTQ families have been published in 21 languages. She is also a production designer for animated films and makes feminist art in her spare time.
