Zero the Hero

Product Description Zero. Zip. Zilch. Nada. That's what all the other numbers think of Zero. He doesn't add anything in addition. He's of no use in division. And don't even ask what he does in multiplication. (Hint: Poof!) But Zero knows he's worth a lot, and when the other numbers get into trouble, he swoops in to prove that his talents are innumerable. Review “…cartoon energy and amusing visual asides, this story does for numbers what Laurie Keller did for states…” ―Booklist“This tale not only reinforces mathematical principles, but also has a great message about friendship and personal feelings. It can be read aloud, alone, or performed as reader's theater.” ―School Library Journal“Read this aloud to whet the new reader's appetite, but there is just so much to see that only a slow reading, with a magnifying glass in hand, will do.” ―Horn Book Magazine“…features walking, talking written characters (digits, in this case, rather than letters), accompanied by Lichtenheld's snappy, cartoon-style art.” ―Publishers Weekly“A hero and some villains and good winning over evil (oh, and all that educational stuff, too), all wrapped in humor and tied with a comic bow--what could be better?” ―Kirkus Reviews From the Author Zero the Hero grew out of a visit I made to a classroom. The teacher was using the Zero the Hero concept to teach place-holding to her students. In other words, Zero is a hero because he enables us to count beyond the number nine. Without him, we'd be like the ancient Romans, unable to do much in the way of math. I immediately visualized Zero as an underdog math superhero, complete with cape. But it took me years to actually finish writing this book about him. Lucky thing, because the timing was perfect. The manuscript hit my editor's desk just as she was working with a wonderful, bestselling artist named Tom Lichtenheld, who agreed to illustrate it. Zero the Hero subtly teaches place-holding and arithmetic operations like addition and subtraction. It touches on stuff like rounding up and down, even and odd numbers--and the fact that the number eight looks like a snowman. But all of that is secondary. I just hope it's a fun story that you and your family or students enjoy! About the Author Joan Holub has authored and/or illustrated over 130 children's books, including Groundhog Weather School; Bed Bats & Beyond; and Vincent van Gogh Sunflowers and Swirly Stars. She is also the co-author of the popular Goddess Girls series for ages 8-12. Visit her at joanholub.com Tom Lichtenheld has written and illustrated many popular books for children, including Cloudette and Bridget's Beret. He is also the illustrator of the New York Times-bestselling books, Goodnight Goodnight, Construction Site; Duck! Rabbit! ; and Shark vs. Train. He lives in Geneva, Illinois. tomlichtenheld.com