I am always looking for ways to use non-mathy picture books that represent different cultures in a math-y way. Growing up, I never had examples in picture books that represented my family (brown Indian Dad, white mom, mixed kids, etc.). But we are living in a time when finding books that represent our students is becoming a little bit easier. There are several websites that I have been using to find books, some of which are categorized as “Own Voices” (stories written by minority groups versus stories that include representations of minority groups), and other books that feature diverse characters.
This March (because of Pi Day), I thought we could focus on the moon and circles in our reading. Several of these books also allow us to study the phases of the moon as well. There is a cute animation of the phases of the moon that can be found here.
The first book, City Moon, has some lovely illustrations and shape-finding opportunities. The story describes a walk through the city at night and the different ways the moon can look. The book has diverse characters doing many things that one would see in a city. There are also several clocks throughout the book. So if you are on elapsed time, you could track time throughout the story. I would also suggest that you create a shape city with students inspired by this book. There is a video of the book here if you don’t have a copy in your classroom.
If you would like a book to use as a comparison to City Moon, I would recommend City Shapes by Diana Murray and illustrated by Bryan Collier. This particular book is a bit of a love story for New York City. The book has a rhyme pattern that students can look for, along with finding shapes throughout the book. Collier’s illustrations really shine in this book! There is a video of the book here.
Song in the City is another great companion book if you want to take a city as the location focus. In this case, the protagonist is a young, visually impaired girl who is connected to her city through sound. Video here.
To continue the moon theme, I’ll Be the Moon is the story of a migrant child’s bravery on the journey north. It is also available in Spanish. There are two videos that I would highlight: video one has some “animation,” and the second is a read-aloud from the author.
If you would like to bring in some nonfiction options, you could explore the life of Margaret Hamilton. Thankfully, there are a couple of options to look at: Margaret Hamilton: The Girl Who Coded the Moon and Margaret and the Moon: How Margaret Hamilton Saved the First Lunar Landing.
A Big Mooncake for Little Star (video here)is a lovely story that reads like a folktale or myth, though it is an original story. Grace Lin, the author/illustrator, discusses in this video how she noticed how she and her daughter were not represented in an exhibit of Americana in picture books. Her book is an answer to this lack of representation. You may need to show students examples of mooncakes, which are a Chinese dessert that is most popularly served during the Mid-Autumn Festival. Here is a short video about mooncakes. It would be fun for students to think of examples of round or circular food that are part of their food traditions at home. Consider using Round is a Tortilla as a connection to another food tradition.
How are you teaching about circles and other shapes?
How can you incorporate literature into math?
What are some examples of books with diverse characters and stories that you love to teach?
*Links to affiliate