How Many Mice Make an Elephant?: And Other Big Questions About Size and Distance

by Tracey Turner, Galia Bernstein (Illustrations)

How Many Mice Make an Elephant? And Other Big Questions about Size and Distance introduces children to a world of fascinating information by comparing sizes and distances in an easily relatable way. A wide range of subjects are covered, including animals, the human body, engineering, Earth, and space, to explore the answers to questions such as How many ice cubes make an iceberg?, How many high jumps to the Moon? and How many planet Earths fit inside the Sun? The math and logic behind each comparison is explained clearly and simply.



Includes an introduction by Kjartan Poskitt, author of the bestselling Murderous Math series.

Genres: Nonfiction, Mathematics, Childrens

48 pages, Hardcover

Published June 9, 2020

About the author

Tracey Turner is a former editor and author of many non-fiction books for children, including Hodder's Disgusting Dictionary and titles for the Dead Famous series. Tracey lives in South London.

Reviews

[Abril G. Karera · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lo que más me gusta de esta propuesta es que es muy divertido. La info que maneja es emocionante y dimensiona perfecto que somos muy pequeños en este mundo tan vasto e increíble. Muy recomendable para las personas curiosas.

[Jo Oehrlein · Rating 3 out of 5]

A book about estimating and multiplication/division with large numbers.

Mostly assumes things are done with calculators, but points out why you need to be able to estimate things yourself.

No real story -- each page starts with a crazy premise (how many soccer balls to fill a soccer stadium, how many astronauts to fill the International Space Station, etc.) gives some measures and then does the calculation. Throws in some related trivia.

You can point out that the calculations are always done with matching units.

[Shane · Rating 4 out of 5]

This a fascinating book! I love the way it explains the mathematics of measurement and estimation in a clear, simple and non-threatening way. It then contains a whole bunch of interesting comparisons (How many mice in an elephant, how many kangaroo jumps to cross Australia etc.) but also mixes in some other facts along the way. I think this is a kids book Randall Munroe could get behind!

[Lori · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting way to conceptualize big things.