I desperately want That’s Mathematics to be the kind of book that encourages boys and girls to keep asking questions, prompted by the wonderful world around them. And as they do, they will realise that Maths is pretty much everywhere: whether they’re playing or paying, befriending or spending, looking or cooking (don’t worry- the rhymes that Mathematical and musical genius Tom Lehrer has generously allowed us to use in the book are much more charming than these couplets).
This project began with the wonderfully talented Tom Lehrer, who’s now well into his 90s. We created a tribute to his brilliant song “That’s Mathematics” by roping in a bunch of well-known Mathematical faces to sing lines while I bashed away on the piano. Unbelievably, we ended up with TV stars like Countdown’s Rachel Riley and presenter extraordinaire Hannah Fry to YouTube sensations like Australian hero Eddie Woo and the fabulous Michael Stevens of Vsauce fame! It’s worth a watch and you can see the video here.
Maths Songs and Rhymes for Younger Children
The success of this video sparked the idea to make a kids’ book that would weave the witty lyrics of Tom Lehrer’s song with captivating artwork from talented Latvian illustrator Elīna Brasliņa and extra ideas to delve into provided by me! Although the suggested age range for the book is 5-8 year olds, younger kids will love to listen to Tom’s delightful verses while being mesmerised by Elīna’s drawings (spotting new things each time they re-read it). As national treasure Johnny Ball describes it: “In the footsteps of Tom Lehrer, Chris Smith shows that you are never too young to have fun with Maths.”
Maths Puzzles and Challenges for Older Children
Older kids, and parents too, won’t be able to resist getting their teeth into the ‘try this’ and ‘explore this’ sections – these tasks, challenges, puzzles and games help to explore the Maths underpinning each idea in That’s Mathematics. There are answers to the challenges and a glossary of Mathsy terms at the back of the book and also a whole host of free online activities to keep the discovery and exploration going!
Celebrating Maths in Everyday Life
It might surprise you how much Maths you use in your everyday life. Hopefully, this book will encourage you to spot it, to embrace it and to chat about it. And maybe, just maybe, you’ll manage to recapture the freedom to ask those questions you’ve been stifling as a sensible adult:
“If you could count for a year, would you get to infinity or somewhere in that vicinity?”
