Even healthy food can be hard to eat if it tastes bad. Books are the same: no matter how useful the content is, it is hard to read if it is boring. That is why, when the subject is difficult and dry, I look for a book that makes it fun. Graphic novels, especially, seem to have a charm that can satisfy everyone. The author, Indong Gyo, is an elementary-school teacher and writer who wrote and illustrated this book about mathematics. He describes math as “a rough, villain-like friend you have a

When we approach math academically, it often seems like a difficult subject. It may start out easy, but increasingly difficult theories appear; if you cannot keep up with them, at some point it becomes so hard that even following along feels impossible. I think that is why many parents work so hard to teach math and hope their children will keep going without giving up. Humans have the ability to think, and math seems like an excellent field in which to use it. Thinking deeply can lead to

It is true that as children move up a grade, they become more interested in workbooks. But what I want even more is for my child to truly enjoy math, rather than become a machine for solving problems. After middle school, math may turn toward entrance exams, but while my child is still in elementary school, I want math to feel like something that begins with things they can observe around them and sparks curiosity, rather than a subject only for tests. Lately I have become much more interested

One good way to motivate children to study is to help them understand why they are learning. This is especially true of a subject like math, which can feel distant: children need to understand “Why do I have to learn this?” Here's a fun and easy way to approach it: I opened A Graphic Novel History of Math. In his account of happiness, the Greek philosopher Aristotle said, “All living things are happy when they fully exercise their abilities.” Birds are happiest when they fly, and fish when they

This is the third book in the Easy and Fun Humanities series, a story of mathematics meant to build good character and healthy reasoning. You can get through life knowing only very basic math, but the author says that one of the conditions for becoming a happy person is the ability to think, and that studying math is an effective and economical way to develop it. Ancient Greek mathematics begins with Thales, called the father of Western philosophy and the first mathematician. He measured the

A Graphic Novel History of Math presents the history of mathematics through mathematicians' lives, illustrated in an easy-to-understand way. It feels less like reading a math book and more like comfortably watching a math-themed webtoon. The material is explained simply enough for people with no background in math. The author is an elementary-school teacher, so the stories are arranged clearly and simply enough for elementary students to understand. The book organizes the history

What if you tried exploring difficult math and humanities through comics, in a way that feels easier and more fun? This is A Graphic Novel History of Math, published by Sigongsa, the third book in its Easy and Fun Humanities series. It has four chapters: mathematics in ancient Greece, the Hellenistic golden age, the medieval period, and modern mathematics. The ancient section introduces Thales, who measured a pyramid with a stick, and Pythagoras, who discovered his theorem in the ratios of

A Graphic Novel History of Math, by Indong Gyo, Sigongsa, is the third book in the Easy and Fun Humanities series. I looked up the series and found the first book is about Western philosophy, the second about Western science, and the third about mathematics. Western philosophy makes sense, but why call the other books humanities? The thought crossed my mind. Many ancient philosophers were also scientists and mathematicians, and even in the Middle Ages there were people like Descartes who made

There are many books about math, but this is one I would wholeheartedly recommend to older elementary-school students as an easy and fun way to learn the history of mathematics. The author's A Graphic Novel History of Western Philosophy and A Graphic Novel History of Western Science have already been published, and I hope the “A Graphic Novel History” series continues. The flavorful writing and witty illustrations, written and drawn by the author, draw you in, and the stories of mathematics