I love mixing maths into stories and have done this now with two picture books. I am super excited about Connected.
The illustrator and myself were interviewed here.
R.A.S: I’d love it if both kids and adults looking at the book could see the world a bit differently. Each person is important and can be a node connecting others to each other. Have you ever introduced someone to another person? You made a new connection.
I think it is cool that the concept can be explained using maths, and this is just like a computer network. But with people it is a huge reminder we are not alone. There are connections between people everywhere. And who you meet might lead to meeting someone else – and maybe even someone who will become a new best friend.
What do you feel are the benefits of ‘connecting’ literature and maths?
R.A.S: Stories with maths? I mean, why not? I think there has long been a consideration that English and Maths are two separate and never ‘connected’ areas of learning. But we often need numbers in literacy, and we also need words to explain some maths. They are already integrated. Why not integrate maths into bigger concepts? For me, it comes naturally because I just love how maths (and science as well) describes the world.