I live in Alaska so, oh, yes, I know how quickly one or two tiny snowflakes can multiply. This book shows that in lovely illustrations showing the pages and settings slowly being covered by a sea of white while teaching us the math concept of exponents.
Now, true, math isn't my strength and I was drawn to this book more by the cover than the idea, but it's an intriguing approach. I didn't take the time to count but supposedly there are the exact number of snowflakes on each page as the answer to each mathematical step. I cannot imagine the self discipline and time it must have taken the artist to create the beautifully done photos, which are largely in, well, whites and browns with burst of color from birds, swing sets, buildings, and such. You just know some hardy soul will be counting.
Even this non-mathematical soul enjoyed browsing through the book and nodding knowingly at the answers. The author explains the process in an easy to understand manner, giving both the answer and "showing the work" done to get to that answer. It suddenly seemed so simple. Even better, it's done in a lyrical, poetic way, making for an interesting read. Thanks #NetGalley and #LernerPublishingGroup - #MillbrookPress for letting me flex my mathematical brain cells a bit.
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