One Grain of Rice: A Mathematical Folktale

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Long ago in India, there lived a raja who believed that he was wise and fair. But every year he kept nearly all of the people's rice for himself. Then when famine came, the raja refused to share the rice, and the people went hungry. Then a village girl named Rani devises a clever plan. She does a good deed for the raja, and in return the raja lets her choose her reward. Rani asks for just one grain of rice, doubled every day for thirty days. Through the surprising power of doubling, one grain of rice grows into more than one billion grains of rice - and Rani teaches the raja a lesson about what it truly means to be wise and fair.Demi's exquisitely detailed art, inspired by traditional Indian miniature paintings, combine with her simple retelling to convey the heart and wisdom of this satisfying mathematical tale.

Amazon.com Review

Exotic, beautiful, and instructive, this "mathematical folktale" by author-illustrator Demi emerged from her love of India. The narrative and the evocative illustrations combine to create a real sense of the culture and atmosphere of this romantic land.

It's the story of Rani, a clever girl who outsmarts a very selfish raja and saves her village. When offered a reward for a good deed, she asks only for one grain of rice, doubled each day for 30 days. Remember your math? That's lots of rice: enough to feed a village for a good long time--and to teach a greedy raja a lesson.

From School Library Journal

Grade 1-4. A resourceful village girl outsmarts a greedy raja, turning a reward of one grain of rice into a feast for a hungry nation. Delicate paintings emblazoned with touches of gold give this Indian folktale an exotic air.
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Gr. 3^-6, younger for reading aloud. Demi's lively illustrations, shining with gold-leaf details, enrich this story of Rani, a clever young woman who uses her skill in mathematical thinking to outwit a self-indulgent raja and secure food for her starving people. When the raja wishes to reward Rani for a good deed, Rani asks for one grain of rice, with the amount to be doubled each day for 30 days. Demi's illustrations become increasingly rich as each day a different animal parades across vibrantly colored backgrounds to deliver rice. Children will be as surprised as the raja to see how quickly Rani's rice accumulates as the trick unfolds, and they'll be just as satisfied as Rani to see the selfish raja's rice supply diminish. The illustrations amplify the suspense and humor, until finally, on the last day, 256 mighty elephants march across a four-page foldout to deliver their bundles. Teachers are sure to appreciate the book's multiple uses within the curriculum (Demi includes a table showing the math involved), and everyone will enjoy the triumph of good over evil achieved by a clever trick and math. Karen Morgan

From Kirkus Reviews

In artwork inspired by Indian miniatures (though lacking their exquisiteness), Demi (The Stonecutter, 1995, etc.) fashions a folktale with far-reaching effects. The raja of a rice-growing village orders his subjects to deliver to him the bulk of their harvest; he will keep it safe should a famine occur. A few years later the harvest fails, and so does the raja: ``Promise or no promise, a raja must not go hungry,'' he intones. When a young village girl, Rani, returns to the raja some rice that had fallen from baskets laden for his consumption, he offers her a reward. Her request is seemingly modest: a grain of rice on the first day, two grains the next, four grains on the third; each day double the rice of the day before, for 30 days. The raja, though, doesn't grasp the power of doubling. Day 21 garners 1,048,576 grains of rice; on the last day it takes fold-out flaps to show the herd of elephants necessary to convey the rice to Rani, who feeds the masses and extracts from the raja a promise to be more generous. This gratifying story of the disarming of greed provides an amazing look at the doubling process, and a calendar at the end shows how the reward simply grew and grew. (Picture book/folklore. 5-8) -- Copyright ©1997, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

About the Author

Born in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in 1942, Charlotte Dumaresq Hunt was called “Demi” by her father, a nickname that stuck. Her family was deeply involved in the arts: her father was an architect and actor, her mother was a noted painter, her great-grandfather was the American painter William Morris Hunt, and her great-great-uncle was the architect Richard Morris Hunt. With her mother's encouragement, Demi studied studio art, silk-screening, jewelry-making, mural painting, and ceramics from an early age. She went on to study art at the Rhode Island School of Design, Los Angeles' Immaculate Heart College, and the University of Baroda in India's Gujarat State.

Demi's travels have taken her to many different countries, including Guatemala, Brazil, England, and Japan. She has painted murals in Mexico, and closer to home painted the dome of St. Peter & Paul Church in Wilmington, California. But it was her interest in Eastern art styles and in Buddhism that led her to China, which would provide the inspiration and setting for her first children's book, Lu Pan, the Carpenter's Apprentice, published in 1978. Since then, she has created more than 130 books for children, many of which are adaptations of Chinese folktales. Her work is wide-ranging, however, and also includes concept and puzzle books, picture-book biographies, fables, and novelty board books.

Demi lives in Washington State with her husband, Tze Si (Jesse) Huang. They have one son.

Review:

4.9 out of 5

98.46% of customers are satisfied

5.0 out of 5 stars Great story and illustrations

T. · January 3, 2024

Wonderful story that gets kids curious about math. Very detailed and beautiful illustration. Highly recommended.

5.0 out of 5 stars Delightful!

M.t.3. · August 2, 2024

Wonderful story and illustrations! Love the math connection.

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful drawings

s.h. · June 25, 2024

Love this story

5.0 out of 5 stars Every child should have this!

S. · September 6, 2022

This is one of my favorite children's books. I buy it for babies, toddlers, young kids, and their parents.No matter what age, there is something for you. A beautiful story, gorgeous illustrations, a glimpse of an old multicultural tale.Math! Kindness! A clever little girl!She's not a princess, and she doesn't need to marry a prince. Her kindness, compassion, love for her community and math skills will help her feed a starving community. math + kind girl = change the world

5.0 out of 5 stars Exquisite

H.A.J. · December 10, 2023

Gorgeous book! Magical illustrations. Fantastic story to help build understanding of doubling. Must have in all third grade and up classrooms.

5.0 out of 5 stars Book was in perfect condition!

M.e. · June 26, 2023

This book is a wonderfully illustrated story/fable about a “simple” village girl using the power of doubling to get enough rice from the king to feed all the people during a famine. I’m looking forward to using it in my Montessori classroom. But it is wonderful for any 6-9 year old. Whether they need inspiration to love numbers, or already do ;)

5.0 out of 5 stars Timeless message!

K.C. · October 25, 2020

Great book!!! Children ages 5-10 will love it, especially if you have math wizards in your house! Even as an adult I loved reading it, as it carries such a timeless message and great story, which is a rarity among children's books these days. Don't hesitate to buy it, it will become one of the favorite books in your home library. We also have another book by Demi "The empty pot", another great book to buy!

4.0 out of 5 stars Refreshing Reading

i. · May 25, 2014

I am a fan of "A Mighty Girl" and found this book through their listings and recommendations. I bought it for my granddaughter's fourth birthday because it is about an ordinary girl, not a princess. It is a wonderful folktale based on the importance of standing up for yourself and your community and being willing to do great things by taking a first step toward your convictions. The great math lesson is a bonus! The book is beautifully illustrated and of good quality. I look forward to reading it with my granddaughter for years to come.

Fantastic read / learning opportunity

A. · August 21, 2017

Intermediate students love estimating and trying to figure out how many grains of rice will be given to the young girl at the end of the month. Makes for a great math lesson.

Beautiful

j.d.p. · June 11, 2024

Lovely book, good quality

What a story!!!

F. · June 12, 2018

Never knew this folk tale until I read this one. What a book!! How beautifully designed!!

A simple story

R.C. · August 21, 2013

My 6 year-old grandson didn't want to look at this book when he was first given it (perhaps because it has a girl on the front!), but once he'd read it and looked at the maths he was hooked. The illustrations are beautiful, and the maths interesting for inquiring young minds.

Five Stars

M.G. · October 31, 2016

adorable book, lovely gift

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One Grain of Rice: A Mathematical Folktale

Name: One Grain of Rice: A Mathematical Folktale
Brand: Scholastic Press
SKU: U059093998K
Price: 10.94 BHD
Availability: InStock
Rating: 4.8 (13 reviews)

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