¡Mira, abuela! / Look, Grandma! / Ni, Elisi! (Spanish Bilingual Edition)

Storytelling Math

by Art Coulson, Madelyn Goodnight (Illustrator)

Celebrating diversity, math, and the power of storytelling in Spanish bilingual editions!

Bo wants to find the perfect container to show off his traditional marbles for the Cherokee National Holiday. It needs to be just the right size: big enough to fit all the marbles, but not too big to fit in his family's booth at the festival. And it needs to look good! A playful exploration of volume and capacity featuring Native characters and a glossary of Cherokee words.

Storytelling Math celebrates children using math in their daily adventures as they play, build, and discover the world around them. Joyful stories and hands-on activities make it easy for kids and their grown-ups to explore everyday math together. Developed in collaboration with math experts at STEM education nonprofit TERC, under a grant from the Heising-Simons Foundation.

Genres: Picture Books, Mathematics, Stem, Indigenous, Family, Childrens, Fiction

32 pages, Hardcover

First published August 3, 2021

About the author

Art Coulson is a writer of Cherokee, English and Dutch descent. The 2023 McKnight Fellow in Children’s Literature and a 2025 Millay Arts Fellow, Art is the author of 20 books, graphic novels and plays, including All the Stars in the Sky, winner of the 2026 Minnesota Book Award, Chasing Bigfoot and Look, Grandma! Ni, Elisi!, which was featured on Reading Rainbow and translated into Cherokee for use in his tribe’s immersion school. He is also author of The Creator’s Game: A Story of Baaga’adowe/Lacrosse, Unstoppable: How Jim Thorpe and the Carlisle Indian School Defeated the Army, The Reluctant Storyteller, Lure of the Lake, Trophy Buck, Fishing on Thin Ice and Pheasant Hunting Firsts. Art has been a teaching artist for All My Relations Arts, the Loft Literary Center and the Minnesota Prison Writing Workshop. Art splits his time between his house in the Twin Cities and his lake cabin in the Northwoods of Wisconsin.

Reviews

[Kathryn]

Look, Grandma! Ni, Elisi! My youngest and I are working our way through the Story Telling Math series and really enjoyed this one. It's fun (my kids like marbles and we enjoyed how Bo is going to sell marbles at the family booth at the Cherokee National Holiday celebration) and the illustrations are vibrant and full of detail. The back matter includes a glossary with pronunciation guide, explanation of how Cherokee marbles is played and what events take place at the Cherokee National Holiday, as well as a "Exploring the Math" section. From the back: "Bo explores the math of volume, capacity, and area as he participates in an important community tradition." Author Art Coulson is Cherokee from Oklahoma and attends the Cherokee National Holiday every year. Illulstrator Madelyn Goodnight is a member of the Chickasaw Nation.

[Vernon Area Public Library KIDS]

Bo is elated to sell his hand-painted marbles at his family booth at the Cherokee National Holiday. But the table is limited in space and his grandma tells him that his marbles must fit on the size of a mat. Bo goes through a variety of trial-and-error until he finds the perfect container.

An excellent presentation of volume, capacity, and area within the world of a Cherokee boy. Great for the classroom with ample room for extension activities.

Reviewed by: Miss Kelsey, Youth and School Services, Vernon Area Public Library

[Laura]

The thing about teaching, in a picture book, is to do so that the child doesn't realize that is the point of the book. This book does that, and also takes the concept of getting ready for a Cherokee celebration be park of the story as well, throwing in common Cherokee phrases, and games.

The problem, int eh book, is how to gauge volume and space, to find a container that will display the marbles that Bo has painted. He is told it has to fit on the table, but also has to take up a small footprint. So, he has to find a container that does both.

Very cool story, and you get to learn a few Cherokee words a long the way, as well as about the marble game, digadayosdi.

Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.

[Emilee (emileereadsbooks)]

Thanks to Netgalley and Charlesbridge for a free digital copy.

This book contains applicable lessons about math (volume, area, capacity) and cultural significance (the Cherokee National Holiday is central to the book. The illustrations are great and I think this will be a great read for lots of kids.

[Jill Anderson]

Who knew I was reading a math book?? Love the story. Very sneaky math- I see you.

[Roben]

Bo has worked all year creating stone marbles to sell in his family's craft booth. (an aside - these marbles are about the size of billiard balls and are used to play a traditional Cherokee game). His uncle tells him he is finally old enough to work in the booth and sell his marbles. But first he needs to talk to his Grandmother. She tells him he needs to find a container to display his craft. And also - not to make a mess. He concentrates on the first part - finding a container. But to do that, he has to empty out the contents of LOTS of baskets and bowls and tubes... He finally finds a tray but it is too big. His grandmother gives him a mat so that he will know what the footprint of his container has to be to fit in the booth. He finally finds the perfect thing. But then - he has to clean up the mess he made. With the help of his Elisi.

The book works well to help kids practice problem solving while adding math skills. And it provides a window into Cherokee culture.

[Josie Stewart]

Thank you to Netgalley for this ARC. I look forward to seeing this book when it is published. I learned about the game of Cherokee Marbles, Digadayosdi and how traditional marbles were chipped from stone and then sanded.

[Theediscerning]

Both a welcome ethnic piece (the story concerns a young Cherokee lad who's painted some stone marbles for their national day) and a brief look at mathematical concepts, this manages to hide its educational side really quite well. Our hero is told to find something the right shape to bring the marbles to the family's craft stall in, so he can sell them on, but just what will be the right size and capacity? The abject mess he makes of his bedroom in trying things out will add a recognisable touch to proceedings, before we get to the end-matter, which allowed me at least to learn about the sport the marbles are used for – and to witness some actual Cherokee script. Deserving of a wide audience; at least four stars.

[Kylie Robich]

I liked how the illustrations in this book were vibrant and full of detail. I think when books have lots of details it makes the reader want to read more and catches their eye. This book does a good job about telling a story about a Cherokee boy.

[Jillian]

The Storytelling Math series is great. And this one, with Cherokee culture, is fabulous.

[Eunice R]

One does not often hear of, read or see many children's books about the Native Americans. Therefore, it was very pleasing to discover this educational story of a young Cherokee boy and to learn a bit of his culture and language.

Young Bo prepares to sell the marbles he had made at the Cherokee National Festival but cannot find a proper sized container in which to display them. Encouraged by his Grandma, he goes on a hunt for one. As he does, he "learns" some math: shapes, sizes, volume and area, in a subliminal manner, until he finds just the right one. During the Festival, the Cherokee play a traditional game of marbles, so Bo's sell well.

The end sections of Look Grandma! Ni, Elisi includes a Glossary of Cherokee words used; a "Try This" hands-on math section; and a short explanation of the marble game. This type of book is branded as, "Story Telling Math". Incidently, the author of this book is Cherokee and the illustrator is from the Chickasaw Nation: both Native Americans. Added bonus.

~Eunice C., Reviewer/Blogger~

July 2021

Disclaimer: This is my honest opinion based on the review copy sent by the publisher.

[Lindsey]

I love this children's book from Art Coulson (Cherokee) in which Bo, a Cherokee kid ("atsutsa" or "chooch"), searches for a container to display his hand-painted marbles for an upcoming holiday celebration. Bo's grandma ("elisi") tells him the display can't be too big and gives him a mat to show him the size his container can be. Bo, by trial and error, tries out different containers from around his home until he finds the perfect one.

Where this book shines is in its integration of Cherokee words and phrases throughout the book. The words aren't defined in the book, but are defined in the back of the book in a glossary ("dikaneisdi"). I appreciated that this brought in a hybrid language as would commonly be spoken in bilingual homes.

The book ends with fun extension activities extending spatial awareness and reasoning, as well as more information about Cherokee marbles ("digadayosdi"). I love that it situated Bo and his family in the modern world, showing life of a contemporary Cherokee family. Great book - I'll definitely be recommending!

[Novel Obsession]

Art Coulson’s Look, Grandma! Ni, Elisi! is a fabulous picture book for young children. The book follows Bo, who is now old enough to have painted traditional marbles for his family’s booth at a festival celebrating Cherokee culture. How will he display his beautiful creations? He is off on a mission to find a container to display the marbles while fitting in the space he has available in the booth.

Art Coulson, a Cherokee author, has wonderfully incorporated many aspects in this book without detracting from the story or flow. Children look at volume during Bo’s search while also seeing some traditional Cherokee items and hearing some Cherokee words. The book gives much needed representation We definitely need more picture books from Indigenous authors like this.

Disclaimer: An advance copy was provided by Charlesbridge. Originally posted at Novel Obsession.

[Lisa]

Bo and his uncle Ben have been working on crafts to sell at the Cherokee National Holiday. Bo has been making marbles. His uncles invites him to come sell, he's finally old enough! So Bo looks for the perfect container, but the one he finds is too large for their small booth. How can he make the marbles fit in a container that takes up less space?

I loved the realistic math problem and his different solutions - and the extra problems the "wrong" solution caused. The cultural connection was a nice bonus. The illustrations are great - and pair perfectly with the text. I loved that the reader gets to look at Bo's messy room to try and find the solution (before turning the page.) Includes some fun math activities, a note about playing Cherokee marbles, and a glossary of Cherokee words.

Cross posted to http://kissthebookjr.blogspot.com

[Darlene Ivy]

Such a simple story, but one all children can relate to. Bo wants to sell his marbles at the Cherokee National Holiday and his family says yes, but Bo needs to find a container that will hold all of his marbles and fit on the family's already crowded sales display. Through trial and error, Bo finds the perfect basket and readers explore concepts of volume, capacity, and area. The grandmother's baskets are important to the story and illustrations include other Native art objects. The billiard ball size marbles are used for a game that seems to combine bowling and miniature golf. Back matter includes a glossary of some Cherokee words and information about Cherokee National Holiday held in Tahlequah, OK.

[Gretchen]

While I do understand that this is a "math adventure" I'm not sure that is where I'd use it in the classroom. I was much more drawn to the information about the Cherokee game of marbles and the Cherokee words used in the story (thank you for the glossary and pronunciation!) I might want to read this book in a unit about children's games or traditions and then read it again when doing something with volume in math. To me, the concept was a little more abstract but maybe having an activity in the room (as is suggested in the book) that could follow-up so kids could explore on their own would make the connection stronger for me and the students.

[Ancillar]

Look, Grandma! Ni, Elisi is my first book by the author, and I absolutely enjoyed it so much. A huge thanks to Charlesbridge Publishing for my e- ARC in exchange for an honest review..This is an incredible picture book that follows Bo, who wants to display his marbles at a festival celebrating Cherokee culture. We follow him as he strives to find a container that will display them in an aesthetically pleasing way. I thoroughly enjoyed this book as it was also a historical cultural look at how marbles were formed.




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[Kelsey]

Age: Preschool-2nd grade
Art: Painting
Identity, protagonist & author: Cherokee
Math: Volume, capacity, and area
Series: Storytelling Math
Toy: Marbles

Bo is elated to sell his hand-painted marbles at his family booth at the Cherokee National Holiday. But the table is limited in space and his grandma tells him that his marbles must fit on the size of a mat. Bo goes through a variety of trial-and-error until he finds the perfect container.

[Jessie]

About volume, base area, shape, and how all of those interact. Starts with Bo needing to find a big enough container for all of his marbles, and then the rest of the story is motivated by him needing to find something with a smaller base: "How could a container take up less space on the table but still hold all the marbles?"

Lots of family in the story, with different Cherokee crafts shown at various points. Cherokee words are used throughout (pronunciations and translations at the end).

[Liz]

Bo has worked hard on making marbles, so his Uncle Ben suggests he sell them at the family booth during the Cherokee National Holiday. He has to find a container that holds all his marbles but doesn't take up too much room on their booth's table. A good lesson on volume for preschool and up with suggestions to practice at home. I hope more picture books go beyond numbers, counting, and shapes for math concepts. Includes a glossary with pronunciation guides.

[Alexandria Stephens]

This book is a great book for children to gain exposure to other cultures as well as problem solving. The illustrations do a wonderful job of showing items from different cultures throughout the book. The main character is trying to find something to fit all his marbles to display them, so he had to continually go through trial and error in order to solve his problem.

[Tanna Frederick]

This story is the perfect cross between family and life skills! Bo is tasked with finding a container to fit all of the marbles he wants to sell at the market with is dad! In my class, I would love to read this story and then have my students work on a similar situation to what Bo had to do! I also love the cultural representation and the idea of family in this text.

[Hannah]

I really enjoy this series. The books have fun stories, diverse characters, and mathematical topics without feeling like a school lesson. And I learned about Cherokee marbles, which sounds like such a fun game!

[Kris]

This is clever. It uses real examples to teach spatial skills and math skills. The boy needs to find a container that will hold all of the stones he decorated and also fits on a small mat. It also introduces Cherokee holidays, words, and games, without being didactic.

[Angela De Groot]

I’m a big fan of the Story Telling Math series. I like how this one explores size, shape, volume and problem-solving, as well as family, culture, and tradition. Excellent hands-on, exploring math activities to try in the back matter.

[Andréa]

Note: I accessed a digital review copy of this book through Edelweiss.

[Jo Oehrlein]

Subtle math -- this is about volume and how different shapes can have the same volume.

Several Cherokee words sprinkled through, with a pronunciation guide at the end.

[Sarah]

This could be a great read-aloud, with a modified game of throwing a ball in a cup or hole and filling various shaped containers, maybe even as you read

[Andrew]

Featured in this Monona Public Library unboxing video. https://fb.watch/8y7zjYgBxq/

[Nicole]

Figuring out how to put all his designed marbles into a specific sized space is a difficult task!