Starred Review ALA Booklist (Thu Oct 01 00:00:00 CDT 2020)

Starred Review Upon first reading, this is a charming folk tale from India about a clever lad who uses his wits to secure a place at the rajah's court. In actuality, it's a tricky introduction to binary reasoning. Bhagat and his mother are starving. In desperation, his mother gives Bhagat their last money, a chain of seven golden rings, and off he goes to enter the rajah's singing contest. He must wait for his turn, and the innkeeper demands one gold ring per night advance. How can Bhagat divide the chain so that the innkeeper won't take the whole thing the first night? Bhagat figures out a solution, is finally called to perform after seven days of waiting, but fails to win. Broken-hearted, he turns to leave, but a voice calls for him to wait. It's the innkeeper's wife, who tells the court about Bhagat's math skills and informs the rajah that he really should keep Bhagat around to manage the kingdom's finances. The rajah is persuaded, and Bhagat and his mother move into the palace. The solution (cut the third link) is explained via the vivid, full-page digital illustrations, and back matter provides further details about base 2 computation. This succeeds both as an entertaining read-aloud and as a teasing introduction to the binary system.

Kirkus Reviews

Once upon a time there lived a rajah who, despite his good nature, lacked the mathematical ability to properly govern his kingdom….As a result, his people suffer. One such is Bhagat, a nimble-thinking and hardworking but impoverished young man who lives with his mother in a distant village. Bhagat is a passionate singer, so when he hears that the king is holding auditions for the royal troupe, he travels to the palace to audition. Due to his family's poverty, Bhagat is able to carry only 1 rupee and seven links from his mother's wedding chain. When he arrives at his destination, the innkeepers demand a ring in advance for every night that Bhagat stays, but the goldsmith charges 1 rupee per link to break it. How can Bhagat make the necklace last without wasting a single link? With some clever reasoning and base two math, Bhagat makes his resources stretch long enough to get an audience with the rajah-and a new, unexpected opportunity. This heartwarming rags-to-riches story is accompanied by vivid illustrations that pulse with detail, movement, and color. However, the middle of the story consists mostly of expository text detailing different ways to divide the set of seven rings into multiple parts, an abstract diversion that brings the plot to a grinding halt. An author's note discusses base 10 and binary systems. (This book was reviewed digitally with 9-by-22-inch double-page spreads viewed at 36.1% of actual size.)A cleverly imagined story with a delightful premise but uneven plot. (Picture book. 5-8)

Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

When Bhagat leaves his village in India to seek his fortune as the rajah-s musician, his mother gives him one rupee, a chain with seven tiny gold rings, and some invaluable advice: -Remember, Bhagat, you are a fine singer. But you are an even finer thinker.- A city innkeeper agrees to accept one gold ring as payment for each night stayed, but Bhagat can only afford to pay the goldsmith to break one link. Is there a way to divide the chain so that no ring goes to waste? Bhagat-s clever solution ends up unexpectedly making his fortune, and sets the stage for an engrossing explanation of base 10 and binary number systems in the author-s note. LaRocca-s story, cast in the cadence of classic folktales, is enlivened by the contrast of Sreenivasan-s cartoon illustrations, which render tableaux in a magenta-tinged palette. A deft and engaging introduction to a sometimes flummoxing subject. Ages 7-10. (Oct.)