Count the Stars by Raewyn Caisley, Gabriel Evans (illustrator) Published by Walker Books on 2023
Genres: Picture Book
Format: Hardcover
Source: Personal book collection
Maddie is fascinated by the mathematics embedded in the world around her – the symmetry of flowers, the tessellated pattern of the bricks in her garden path, and sorting coins into different sizes. She loves maths lessons at school and always does well, but she sometimes finds it hard to relate to the other kids who don’t seem to appreciate the numbers and patterns that are so abundantly evident to her in everything she sees and does.
When a new girl joins her class, Maddie discovers that sometimes that being able to share your interest with someone else can make it even more enjoyable.
Count the Stars by Raewyn Caisley and Gabriel Evans (Walker Books, 2023) is a story for all those children with a special interest that others don’t always appreciate or understand. It highlights how lonely it can be for brighter children who are fascinated by subjects that their peers barely notice and the importance of fostering friendships and connections with others who share their interests and curiosity.
It’s wonderful to see girls as the central characters in a story about mathematics and to see both Maddie’s father and the classroom teacher rewarding Maddie’s efforts and interest in numbers.
Gabriel Evans’ illustrations are very appealing ranging from beautiful star-filled skies to several quirky mathematical details. I particularly like Maddie’s piano keyboard dress, the number tree poster in her room and the golden ratio spiral created from matchsticks.
Count the Stars is a great addition to my STEM-themed picture book collection, which already includes Caisley’s Something Wonderful. (Penguin, 2016)
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