A Very Improbable Story: A Math Adventure [Paperback]

Edward Einhorn (Author), Adam Gustavson (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 7 and up | Grade Level: 2 and up

Ethan wakes up one morning with a talking cat on his head. The cat refuses to budge until Ethan wins a game of probability. Without looking, Ethan must pick out a dime from his coin collection or two matching socks from his dresser, or do something else improbable. A very improbable story about a challenging math concept.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

This picture book for older children introduces the idea of probability using a funny, fantastical premise: A boy named Ethan wakes up with a talking cat on the top of his head. The cat informs Ethan that he’ll get off his head if Ethan wins a game of probability. After cartwheels, jumping jacks, and a shower don’t remove the cat, Ethan decides to play along. The two consider  a variety of everyday household groupings—coins, socks, marbles, cereal shapes, and even soccer strategies—and eventually Ethan goes from haphazard guessing to a real sense of  odds and outcomes. Einhorn moves this math lesson quickly along, spurring it with Ethan’s oft-repeated need to get to his soccer game within the hour—and without the cat. Gustavson’s appealing oil paintings, which depict Ethan and his little sister in all their befuddled wonder, match well with Einhorn’s quirky text and premise. They are full of energy, odd angles, and offbeat perspectives, and kids will want to give them more than a passing glance. Grades 1-3. --Abby Nolan --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

About the Author

Edward Einhorn is the author of The Living House of Oz (Hungry Tiger Press), a centennial sequel to the Wizard of Oz series. He lives in New York City.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 7 and up
  
• Paperback: 32 pages
• Publisher: Charlesbridge Publishing (January 15, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1570918724
• ISBN-13: 978-1570918728
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 8.4 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #59,779 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #57 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > Science, Nature & How It Works > Fiction
  • #78 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > Animals > Cats > Fiction

More About the Author

Edward Einhorn is the author of the modern Oz novels "Paradox in Oz" and "The Living House of Oz" (Hungry Tiger Press); "A Very Improbable Story" (Charlesbridge), a picture book on probability; "The Golem, Methuselah, and Shylock" (Theater 61 Press), plays about Jewish legends; and "Lysistrata", a new adaptation of Aristophanes. He is also the Artistic Director of Untitled Theater Company #61, with whom he curated the Vaclav Havel Festival, the NEUROfest, and the Ionesco Festival. He is the author of a a number of critically acclaimed plays, including "Fairy Tales of the Absurd," "Strangers," Linguish", and stage adaptations adaptation of Vonnegut's "Cat's Cradle" and Philip K. Dick's "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep." His newest book, "Fractions in Disguise," will be released in 2012.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A Very Improbable Story, May 16, 2008

By 

Kirsten G. Cutler (Santa Rosa, California) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A Very Improbable Story: A Math Adventure (Hardcover)

Einhorn, Edward. A Very Improbable Story. Illustrated by Adam Gustavson. Charlesbridge. 2008.

This is a very humorous story that is sometimes slightly slowed by a valiant effort to explain the mathematical concept of probability. "One morning, Ethan woke up with a cat on his head. There was nothing improbable about that. Ethan's cat, Snowy, sometimes curled up there to sleep. But this was different. The cat on Ethan's head wasn't his cat!" This strange cat challenges Ethan to play "games of probability" with him and win, if Ethan wants the cat to get off his head so he can go and play a soccer match. Odds, the cat, tells Ethan to see if he can "pull out 2 matching socks without looking" from his drawer. "It's not as easy as it sounds," he warned, "With 10 pairs of socks, you have a very low probability of finding a match." Of course, Ethan loses this game since as Odds points out, "After you pulled out the first sock there were 19 single socks left. So there was only 1 sock out of 19 that would have let you win." Ethan responds with, "Is that what they call bad odds?" It takes several more games before Ethan finally wins thus enabling the concept of probability to be more fully explained. A paragraph on the final page names the two French mathematicians who developed the concept of probability, and then leaves the reader with a probability problem to solve. This clever well-done book that should appeal to children in grades K-4 may lose some readers as the details of probability are explained; however, others will enjoy playing along with the games.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Must Read for Young Readers!!!, May 30, 2008

By 

Kristin Lundberg "Kris Lundberg" (New York, NY) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A Very Improbable Story: A Math Adventure (Hardcover)

This charming and educational story is the perfect introduction to mathematics as it delves into the adventures of problem solving, the process of deductive reasoning and everyday decision making. All of which are basic life skills. The cat is a bit haunting, but he adds a fun drama to the piece and continues to challenge Ethan. It's a wonderful book for young readers to embrace with uncomplicated language and provides even a more indepth terminology section for any addition questions children might have. I completely recommend it as my little one is a HUGE fan!

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Terrific book for reading or teaching!, June 10, 2008

By 

A Month of Sundays "Kasheri" (Costa Mesa, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Very Improbable Story: A Math Adventure (Hardcover)

My five year old really enjoys this book and it has been very useful in teaching her the challenging concept of probability. Also, the art work is terrific! I highly recommend it!