Sir Cumference and the Dragon of Pi

Radius accidently turns his father, Sir Cumference, into a dragon. As the other knights get ready to vanquish the dragon, Radius needs to solve a mathematical riddle to figure out how to de-dragon Sir Cumference.

This is part of a series of maths adventures, intended to introduce mathematical concepts to children. In this case, it's all about pi (and dragons).

The book does a good job of making maths more interesting. Radius learns about circles and pi through practical things, such as seeing spokes on a wheel, decorating pies, and measuring round everyday objects. It makes it clear how pi is relevant to real things, as well as reinforcing what it is and how it's calculated.

I appreciated the geometry puns (other characters include Lady Di of Ameter, and brothers Geo and Sym of Metry), though the medieval fantasy theme is the real lure for the target audience. It means the story can be fun for children who don't really understand the maths. In terms of reading level, it requires being able to handle short paragraphs, though would also be a good one for adults to read aloud.

For those who do understand the maths, there are some problems they can solve themselves and a recap of what pi is at the end. My main issue with it is that pi as a decimal is only introduced as a very brief mention in the end summary. It's described as three and about one seventh throughout the main story. This could create the impression that pi is exactly three and one seventh, as well as not being clear that the part after the decimal point continues on.

The artwork is an old-fashioned painting style. This works with the general medieval theme. There's a little black cat in a lot of the images, which gives something else to find. It's a decent book for introducing pi to young fantasy lovers. It can also be a bit of fun on pi day, as it ends with a pi celebration.

I am not sure why this was on netgalley.com as it was published back when I was still in middle school but I hope they are reprinting it because it was fantastic. As an individual who is finishing up the process of becoming an elementary school teacher I thought this would be a fun and inventive classroom tool and also a great introduction to some beginners elements of math. Loved it. Great educational children's read.

Like all of the Sir Cumference books, this one is excellent and entertaining! Both as a teacher and a parent, this whole series is wonderful!

This is a great book to help children understand the meaning of Pi. It is an entertaining story about a young boy (Radius) who tries to reverse a situation where his father (Sir Cumference) has been turned into a dragon! His father is in danger as the queen has sent out word that there is a dangerous dragon that needs to be killed. Poor Radius must work fast. The antidote must be measured using a riddle about circles and their measurements. Within the story we meet brothers Geo and Metry, a wheel maker, Sym, Lady Fingers who is baking pies, and Lady Di of Ameter. Students will enjoy the story and at the same time learn about Pi! There are various activities that can be done with this story, especially having the students recreate what Radius does to find the measure of Pi. A wonderful math story! The vocabulary contained in the story in a fun way is a great way to introduce some of the math concepts. The illustrations are wonderful and show the concept of Pi being discovered as well as being fun and imaginative.

This is a great book for school libraries and in particular middle grade classes as they learn about the concepts mentioned in the book.

This is a fun adventure story. Young Radius looks in the doctor's workroom for some medicine for his sick father. When the medicine he finds turns his father into a dragon, he must figure out how to turn his father back into a person before the knights of the castle kill the fearsome dragon! In the process, he discovers that every circle in the world is made up of the same dimensions, and calculates the value of pi. This is a memorable introduction to this basic geometrical fact, with a catchy storyline and lovely colored pictures portraying life in a castle.

This is a fantastic little book that makes maths concepts come to life. The Sir Cumference range of books are well-loved by my students and Dragon of Pi is no exception.

Note: I was unable to download the file and contacted the publisher. I ended up borrowing a copy from a local library to complete this review.