Children's literature and mathematics make a wonderful pairing because students who enjoy reading but are less confident in mathematics can find the content more approachable when it is couched in a story. Conversely, students who enjoy mathematics but are reluctant readers can be hooked by a story that is about a subject they like. This book series has the added element of offering a global perspective on the mathematics topic. One of the great things about reading is that it can transport us to places we might not otherwise be able to go-to learn about people, places, cultures, and activities that are new to us. Adding a global component to children's literature books about mathematics provides another way for students to connect to this content. Realizing that not everyone around the world does mathematics in the same way even though mathematics is often described as a "universal language" gives readers a different way to approach the topic and can extend their thinking to figure out what the two approaches have in common and where they differ.

Dr. Denise Spangler, Dean of the Mary Frances Early College of Education, University of Georgia