His Treasure Seekers

I’ve got a little guy who is absolutely enthralled with numbers, so I jumped when Ann McCallum Books gave us a chance to review Rabbits, Rabbits Everywhere: A Fibonacci Tale.  It teaches about the Fibonacci sequence: a pattern of numbers that occurs throughout nature (written about in 1202 by an Italian man nicknamed Fibonacci).  In the sequence, each number is the sum of the previous two numbers: 0…1…1…2…3…5…8…13…21…34… You get idea.

Rabbits, Rabbits Everywhere: A Fibonacci Tale is a 32-page softcover book based on an idea Fibonacci himself used, about pairs of rabbits that reproduce according to this pattern.  In the book a town called Chee becomes overrun by rabbits due to a wizard’s spell, and when the infamous Pied Piper is unable to get rid of them, a clever little girl named Amanda looks at how the growing number of rabbits each day follows a specific pattern.  Once she figures it out, she is able to break the spell and lead the rabbits out of town.  (The original pair of rabbits are named “Fib” and “Knot,” so in the years to come, people talk about “The Tale of Fib and Knot in Chee,” which becomes “The Tale of Fibonacci,” a clever way to help children remember the name of the number sequence.)

This book was a cute and clever way to introduce the idea of Fibonacci numbers.  I read it with two of my children who showed interest when they spotted the book after it arrived.  Arianna (3) enjoyed the story just for its own sake (especially the colorful illustrations by Gideon Kendall), but Elijah, my 5-year old numberphile, realized there was more going on.  He loved the details in the illustrations that showed how Amanda began trying to figure out the pattern.

The book makes the pattern so clear, it’s easy to find the wonder of the Fibonacci sequence, especially when you read the last page, which gives examples of where Fibonacci numbers can be found in nature.  Though the book doesn’t mention God, I think it’s a great tool for talking about how our world shows evidence of intelligent design, and I know we’ll read this story over and over in the years to come.  I think children of all ages, even those typically “beyond” picture books, will enjoy this story because of the fascination factor.

Ann McCallum has written several books to help children find delight in learning, not just about math, but several other subjects as well.  Members of the Crew received various titles to review, so if you want to bring a little extra fun to your school day, be sure to check out their reviews by clicking on the banner below.