ISBN: 9780316515269
Editorial: Little
Año de edición: 1994
Edición: 1
N° Paginas: 48
Tipo de pasta: Pasta dura
Descripción: A perfect introduction to mathematical concepts for young readers, written by a Newbery honor-winning author! This colorfully illustrated biography of the Greek philosopher and scientist Eratosthenes, who compiled the first geography book and accurately measured the globe's circumference, is just right for budding mathematicians, scientists, historians, and librarians! Filled with fascinating details about Eratosthenes's world (and in print since 1994), kids are sure to flip through the pages time and again. Críticas Newbery Honor author Lasky (Sugaring Time) deserves high marks for her attempt to present formal mathematical concepts in a picture-book format. The result, however, is a somewhat uneven amalgam of fable, history and science that struggles to find an appropriate age group. She tells the story of Eratosthenes, the ancient Greek librarian who figured out how to calculate the circumference of the earth by a sophisticated process involving sun and shadows. In an author's note, Lasky explains that since there is little extant documentation pertaining to Eratosthenes himself, her job as historian became to "responsibly imagine based on what we already know." Unfortunately, the simplistic language and imagery she uses to describe his life contrast awkwardly with the somewhat daunting details of his mathematical innovations. Older readers who can understand abstract calculations might well be put off by such lines as "More than two thousand years ago a very smart baby was born." Hawkes (see The Nose, reviewed above) handsomely illustrates both the mathematical and historical concepts with his signature touch of whimsy. His stunning acrylics add significant interest to the volume. Ages 6-10. Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. Críticas Grade 2-5-This picture book covers the life of Eratosthenes of Cyrene, a geographer who estimated the circumference of the Earth in around 200 B.C.. Though he was in fact a librarian, he is famous for his scientific accomplishments. Since little is known about his personal life, Lasky describes his early years in general terms. He liked to ask questions, loved learning at the gymnasium, and sailed off to Athens to further his studies. He became tutor to the son of King Ptolemy III of Egypt, and eventually became the head of Alexandria's magnificent library. Readers don't come to know the subject intimately, but they do get to know his times very well. The narrative is filled with fascinating details about his world. Hawkes's illustrations make a large contribution, as they contain authentic examples of the art, architecture, and social structure of ancient life. His paintings are rich and warm and filled with touches of humor, making the people, as well as their environment, come alive. The pictures combine with the text to give a clear explanation of how the man came to make his key discovery about the Earth's circumference. A fine combination of history, science, and biography.Steven Engelfried, West Lynn Library, ORCopyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. Críticas The story of Eratosthenes, a scholar of the third century b.c. Blending fact with informed conjecture, Lasky describes the education of a wellborn Greek boy, suggests questions he might have asked, and follows him from school in his native Cyrene (in what is now Libya) to further study in Athens and his post at the great library at Alexandria. Lasky highlights her subject's most notable qualities in a perky, lucid narrative. She depicts Eratosthenes's curiosity and orderly mind (he was an inveterate list maker) as the foundations of his greatest accomplishment: While writing a comprehensive geography, he estimated the circumference of the earth to within 200 miles of today's most precise measurements. With admirable clarity, Lasky explains exactly how he did it. Hawkes's pop-eyed characters burst with intelligence, while his lively full-bleed paintings
- Idioma: Inglés
- Autor: Lasky, Kathryn
- Editorial: Little
- N° Paginas: 48
- Tipo de pasta: Pasta dura
- Envío: Desde EE.UU.
