For young readers who don't find math interesting comes this funny picture book about the wondrous ways in which math infuses our world. A friendly purple alien in a flying saucer points out the unexpected places where math can be found, from the strings on a guitar to cookie recipes. The many benefits of math are put on display as well: it helps us communicate, parse information globally, and get to where we need to go. Our clever alien friend explores the world of arithmetic (and beyond) through lively illustrations, making use of conversation bubbles as he communicates with an unnamed narrator, who represents the mathematically disinclined reader. Interactive elements are plentiful, through question-and-answer pages as well as moments where readers are instructed to "shake the book" in order to clear the glut of numbers that have covered the pages. Full of interesting and amazing facts and the many ways math is crucial in our everyday lives, this entertaining, vibrant text is sure to get young readers excited about the subject.

Having tackled such hard-to-love topics as bees and spiders, Barton (Give Bees a Chance, 2017, etc.) here lobbies for the love of math.An unnamed, unseen math-phobic narrator opens by announcing that they're not alone, as "4 in 10 Americans hate math. That's like 40%," only to be hilariously interrupted by a three-eyed purple ET. "Did you just use math to explain how much you don't like it?" The ET proceeds to explain how math is everywhere and in everything we already love, including cookies (demonstrating that a recipe is in effect a word problem), music (explaining the time signature and notes on a staff), and pizza (measuring the pie using pi). Loose and lively illustrations and big, bold lettering take readers on a colorful tour of cool math history and concepts. But the narrator's critical questions go unanswered: How do you learn to love a problem like 785 x 5? And what to do with your frustration when you can't arrive at the "one right answer?" The ET suggests shaking the numbers off the page when they get too overwhelming—an entertaining but ultimately evasive strategy.Number lovers will enjoy this comic celebration. Although doubters may not be convinced that math is fun or approachable, they will be impressed with its ubiquity, and that's a start. (Informational picture book. 5-9)