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The Boy Who Dreamed of Infinity: A Tale of the Genius Ramanujan by Amy Alznauer, Daniel Miyares
librariandest's review against another edition
4.0
Beautifully written and illustrated. I had never heard of Ramanujan and this book sparked my curiosity to learn more about him. My 6yo wants to learn about more geniuses now, so we'll read a book about Einstein next.
annebennett1957's review against another edition
4.0
It is hard to imagine how Ramanujan's brain worked and how difficult he found it being able to communicate with the world. This sweet children's book gives an introduction to that quandary, not the actual mathematical discoveries he made.
golem4kid's review against another edition
2.5
Not much math. Lots about how Ramanujan was a solitary genius and unlike other kids/teens/adults--the exact opposite of the message smart kids need about how learning and research work. We never find out the names of his friends, parents, or wife.
toad_maiden's review against another edition
3.0
Lovely illustrations and an interesting story, but I thought the text was too abstract at times, even for a story about math.
maidmarianlib's review against another edition
4.0
Fascinating, love how the illustrations capture light
tashrow's review
4.0
This is the story of an amazing mathematical genius who was born in India in 1887. He sees math everywhere, contemplating what small and big actually meant. When he started school, the teacher was not interested in his questions, so Ramanujan got bored and tried to sneak away to think his own thoughts. He wondered about the infinity possible in ordinary objects like mango that can be sliced again and again. Doing sums at school, he figured out the sums inside the sums they were doing, once again breaking things down. As he grows up, he reinvents mathematics, working from college textbooks and solving all of the problems. Still, he is just an unknown person in India, how can he find someone who understands what he is doing?
The joy of discovering Ramanujan’s math is that even for children or those who are not mathematically inclined, his theories resonate and encourage everyone to start thinking beyond the strictness of school math. Alznauer pays homage to this great genius, showing how he grew up, how he thought and how he was misunderstood for a very long time until being discovered by mathematicians in England.
The art is done in ink that flows at times like watercolors. Miyares captures the glow of invention, the heat of imagination in his illustrations. He also shows the solitude of Ramanujan in a captivating way.
Rich and fascinating, this picture book biography opens new worlds of mathematics to its readers. Appropriate for ages 6-9.
The joy of discovering Ramanujan’s math is that even for children or those who are not mathematically inclined, his theories resonate and encourage everyone to start thinking beyond the strictness of school math. Alznauer pays homage to this great genius, showing how he grew up, how he thought and how he was misunderstood for a very long time until being discovered by mathematicians in England.
The art is done in ink that flows at times like watercolors. Miyares captures the glow of invention, the heat of imagination in his illustrations. He also shows the solitude of Ramanujan in a captivating way.
Rich and fascinating, this picture book biography opens new worlds of mathematics to its readers. Appropriate for ages 6-9.
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