Ramanujan: From Zero to Infinity

by Arundhati Venkatesh, Priya Kuriyan (Illustrator)

Srinivasa Ramanujan wants to go to school in Kumbakonam only to do maths but his class has no maths teacher this year.

Instead, there is a series of substitutes making the boys do strange exercises--lifting iron ingots, measuring milk, jumping from one island to another and frying fish. Ramanujan wants no part in it, but he and his team, the Kumbakonam Krackerjacks are drawn into a challenge with the Triumphant Trio--and in any maths challenge, Ramanujan has to win!

Filled with rollicking humour, puns, puzzles, this meticulously researched novel describes the childhood of one of the world's greatest mathematicians in a vividly imagined historical setting. Priya Kuriyan's joyful illustrations capture his daily life in striking detail.

The Great Minds at Work series looks at the childhoods of people who made history against the backdrop of the times and places they grew up in.

168 pages, Paperback

Published April 15, 2023

Reviews

[Natasha · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a delightful book to read. The man who would go on to become the famous mathematician Ramanujan, is a ten year old boy in Kumbokonam obsessed with mathematics and puns. He's surrounded by classmates who just cannot keep up with him intellectually, but share an easy camaraderie with him. The mother who you start to dislike when you read a biography for adults, in this book is a doting if ambitious mother who mollycoddles her son and is willing to do anything it takes to ensure his brilliance is nurtured. If you want to read the biography of the mathematician, this is not the book for you, but if you want to happy story which takes you through the streets of early 20th century Kumbokonam through the eyes of its upper caste residents, this is the the book for you.
I particularly loved the chapter numbers, and solved each of them before proceeding. Yes, numbers are magical.

[Ipsita · Rating 3 out of 5]

I delved into its pages,
With an open mind and a heart full of eagerness,
The words painted vivid landscapes,
And I was transported to a realm of pure bliss.

Each chapter is a new adventure,
Each page is a treasure trove,
I devoured it whole,
With an insatiable hunger, I couldn't let go.

The characters came alive,
Their stories etched in my mind,
I laughed, I cried,
And felt every emotion in kind.

The book was a symphony,
Each sentence a note so sweet,
It left me with a longing,
For its beauty, so complete.

It was a journey
That I was privileged to take,
And I emerged,
With a heart full and a soul awake.

--

Srinivasa Ramanujan, a young boy with an insatiable thirst for mathematics, was eager to return to school for another year of learning and expanding his knowledge in the subject. However, upon his arrival, he found that there was no math teacher for the current school year. Instead, a series of substitutes were in charge of the class, making the students engage in peculiar exercises such as lifting iron ingots, measuring milk, jumping from one island to another and frying fish. Ramanujan was disinterested in these activities and had no desire to participate in them. But, despite his reluctance, he and his team, the Kumbakonam Krackerjacks, were drawn into a challenge with the Triumphant Trio. Ramanujan knew that in any mathematical challenge, he had to come out victorious.

The novel is filled with exuberant humor, puns, and puzzles that meticulously research the childhood of one of the world's greatest mathematicians, Srinivasa Ramanujan, in a vividly imagined historical setting. The author uses Ramanujan's love of mathematics to show the reader the young boy's daily life in striking detail through the illustrations of Priya Kuriyan. The illustrations were so joyful and captured the daily life of Ramanujan in a very precise way. Ramanujan's desire to learn math despite the lack of a teacher and the strange exercises assigned by the substitute teachers, and his determination to come out victorious in the challenge against the Triumphant Trio, make for a delightful and entertaining read.

[Gunjan Upadhyay · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s an out-and-out humorous tale for kids to get encouraged by the story of Ramanujan: From Zero To Infinity. Apart from that I liked the –

Unexpectedly funny take to hold the interest of middle-grade fiction readers.
Cute Illustrations of the little characters are delightful and grow in our minds.
Little puzzles and riddles after every few pages make the story fun and engaging.
The ‘Afterword‘ at the end of the book highlights some of the not-so-known details of Ramanujan
If your kid loves the subject or is on the fence about mathematics, read this book to them. The puns in this book will introduce them to the funnier side of mathematics to connect and learn the subject.
Full review here https://www.tuggunmommy.com/ramanujan...

[GoGodzillaGoGo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ramanujan is a boy who wanted to go t school for mathematics but theres no math teacher this year. But, there are 2 teachers called Giri anna and Hari anna, who makes them do a series of challenges. After ramanju told Komalam( Ramanujan's mother)that there were no marks for the challenges, she threatened to have a word with the headmaster. And with jumbu and nachu, ramanju had to win with the triumphant trio.

I gave the book 4 stars for being an amazing book, but the 1 star less was because it was a little hard, I recommend this book for people over 8 years old.