Infinity and Me

Dark-haired Uma sits wide-eyed in her backyard under a black, star-studded sky, torn between the charm of her new red shoes and the overwhelming size of the universe. "How many stars were in the sky? A million? A billion? Maybe the number was as big as infinity." Friends, teachers, and family give Uma new ways to think about infinity--as an endless succession of ancestors, or as a noodle cut in half and in half again (Swiatkowska draws Uma cutting a python-sized noodle with a knife, demonstrating that things can become infinitely small, too). She struggles with the sheer enormity of the idea: "Actually, my head was starting to hurt from all these thoughts." It's not until Uma's grandmother notices her shoes that Uma can make infinity her own: "y love for her was as big as infinity." Hosford's (Big Bouffant) story is as much a look into the interior life of a sensitive girl as it is a meditation on a mathematical concept--a task for which Swiatkowska's (This Baby) idiosyncratic portraits are perfectly suited. Ages 5-10. Agent: Tracey Adams, Adams Literary. Illustrator's agent: Emily Van Beek, Folio Literary Management. (Oct.)

K-Gr 5--This unusual, philosophical picture book makes this seemingly difficult concept approachable and interesting. Young Uma ponders the concept of infinity with the help of friends and family. She finds that the idea can be mind-boggling, but seems less scary when considered in loving company. The story effortlessly combines the enormity of the universe with the frankly personal, as represented by Uma's pride in her new red shoes. Characters define infinity with charming and age-appropriate examples, from a family tree that goes on forever to a never-ending ice-cream cone. A fascinating endnote lets youngsters hear the voices of real children explaining infinity and challenges readers to define it for themselves. Swiatkowska's whimsical, surreal, old-fashioned paintings are well suited to the subject matter. Her art also graces Ilene Cooper's The Golden Rule (Abrams, 2007), another thoughtful picture book, which would combine well with this one. This quiet jewel is sure to spark contemplation and conversation among readers.--Heidi Estrin, Congregation B'nai Israel, Boca Raton, FL

"Beautifully captures the personal side of infinity through a young girl's mind-expanding, heart-expanding journey. Infinitely charming." —Betsy Franco, author of Zero Is the Leaves on the Tree