Count the stars by Raelyn Caisley and Gabriel Evans

Maddie loves to watch the parallel shadows the blind makes on the wall in the morning. And she looks for symmetry in the flowers in the garden. She sees Dad making patterns with the bricks he is using to make a path, as he tells her about tessellations. After pulling the petals off a daisy she works out how many petals there are in the whole garden. Patterns are enticing, leading her to ponder the different ways of telling the time, or putting all the coins in small piles when Dad does the school lunches. She loves mathematics and her teacher often puts a star, sometimes two on her work, but she finds that she is the odd one out. When her neighbour’s children come over she wants to talk about circles and rectangles but they just want to play with the dolls and when they cook with Mum the two want to make decorations, but Maddie is interested in measuring the ingredients.

Usually this does not bother her, but lately she sees that others do not share her interest. One day, Dad announces that they are going to the observatory with the new girl, Priya and her mother. Here she is amazed at the use of mathematics as they talk of the speed of light and angles and degree and stars. Priya and Maddie are amazed at all they see, listening to Dad and Priya’s mother tell them about numbers. That night, Maddie sleeps soundly, dreaming of the stars and her new friend.

A charming story of finding a friend who is interested in the same things you find interesting, Count the stars will resonate with younger readers who think outside the square.

Themes: Night sky, Mathematics, STEM, Friendship.

Fran Knight