Το άπειρο και εγώ

Annabelle #1

by Kate Hosford

Ένα αστρικό καλλιτεχνικό όραμα για την απόλυτη δύναμη μιας αγάπης που διαπερνά τις γενιές.

Τι μέγεθος έχει το σύμπαν;
Πόσα σημεία μπορούν να υπάρξουν σε μια γραμμή;
Μπορεί η αγάπη για κάποιον να διαρκέσει για πάντα;
Πόσοι τρόποι υπάρχουν να φανταστεί κανείς το άπειρο;

Η προσωπική αίσθηση του άπειρου, όπως τη συλλαμβάνει το μυαλό ενός μικρού παιδιού, σε ένα ταξίδι που διευρύνει το μυαλό και την καρδιά.

Genres: Picture Books, Mathematics, Childrens, Science, School, Stem, Number

40 pages, Hardcover

First published August 1, 2011

About the author

Kate Hosford is the author of six picture books and two poetry collections, garnering awards such as an American Library Association Notable Book, a Bank Street Best Book of the Year, a Junior Library Guild Selection, and a New York Times Best Illustrated Book. Her books have been published in eight languages. She is a graduate of Amherst College and Vermont College of Fine Arts where she earned her MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults. Her most recent picture book, YOU'LL ALWAYS BE MY CHICKADEE was published by Chronicle in April, 2024.

Reviews

[Calista · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think the artwork reminds me of the 20s somehow, almost art deco, but not quite. There is also some surrealistic aspects to the artwork. I enjoy it.

This book is about a kid asking about infinity and what it means and trying to figure it all out. The kid asks several people what they think infinity is and each person gives a different analogy. The kid wrangles with the concepts, but comes up with their own idea about it. I thought it was well done.

The nephew couldn’t figure out what was going on and what this was about. He thought it was a weird book. He asked, “What does the red shoes have to do with infinity?” I chuckled. They are just two ideas, not really related all that much. He wasn’t crazy about this book. There isn’t enough funny action. He gave this 1 star. This is not his speed.

[Charlotte · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh My Goodness this is adorable!

I'm in love with the illustrations as well as the story. This really made me think back about what it was like when you begin to think about abstract concepts. I clearly remember trying so hard to wrap my mind around infinity, and the idea of forever as well. Both seemed so vast, yet as a child you want to harness it and grasp it, make it tangable so it makes sense. Kate Hosford does a wonderful job of explaining this incredibly difficult idea while making it fun and beautiful along the way.

I giggled over the red shoes...(I think they were my favorite part of the story). When you read this you'll know why. They were so perfectly placed in the story, exactly the way a child's mind would work.

This is definitely one that I will be reading to my children when it's released, as well as suggesting for our school library.

A copy of this book was provided to me by the publisher through Net Galley.

[Danielle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliantly executed. A pleasure to read and ponder.


This book imaginatively toys with the concept of infinity given different characters' proclivities.
And then, there is Uma in her red shoes sussing it out for herself.

Love love love Gabi Swiatkowska's illustrations as always.

[Paul Hankins · Rating 5 out of 5]

This October 2012 release from Lerner Publishing Group is absolutely gorgeous. Gabi Swiatkowska's illustrations are vivid and mesmerizing. I didn't get Gabi's style with Kimberly Willis Holt's WAITING FOR GREGORY, but the style rings true in INFINITY AND ME. Caldecott short lists will shift for sure with this release.

Kate Hosford's character is a mentor character for approaching, embracing, and thinking through new ideas. Adult characters in the book are able to address inquiry with imagination and examples from their own experiences.

Ladder this one up with MATH CURSE, but keep it separate for its focus on grandmothers and their special brand of love.

Ladder it up in Trascendentalism units for discussions regarding how we find ourselves in the moment within an ever-changing universe.

Here is a link to Gabi's site: http://chocolateforgabi.com/

[Megan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A truly wonderful story book. Handling a subject like infinity is hard for even the most sophisticated adults to grapple with; and handling it with grace no less. This book created a feeling in my heart of childhood wonders and warmth. Plus kick-ass illustrations, no seriously, it was kinda mind-blowing. Read to your children, (even if they're imaginary). Then go back and read it again just for you. Awesome!

[Lata · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute story about a girl musing on what infinity means, first by asking friends what they think of infinity, then realizing how the concept applies to her life. I like the squashy-flat style of the illustrations.

[Marjorie Ingall · Rating 5 out of 5]

The art slayed me. Old-fashioned but hip and not in an irksome Etsy-illustrator show-off way. As a child I was fascinated by the concept of infinity, and Maxie is at the "what is the highest number anyone could count to" developmental stage -- I think this book could hit the sweet spot for a lot of readers. I also like that it's soothing rather than terrifying (ENDLESSNESS could be very scary to a kid, I suspect) without making infinity too cozy; vastness is not cuddly. The book swings beautifully between mystery and groundedness (literally—our narrator is really into her red shoes). Words and pictures go SO well together, too.

[Iman Danial Hakim · Rating 4 out of 5]

"𝗜 𝘀𝗲𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝘀𝘆𝗺𝗯𝗼𝗹," 𝘀𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗮𝗶𝗱. "𝗜𝘁 𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗸𝘀 𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝗳 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝗮𝗻 𝗲𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗳𝗲𝗹𝗹 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗮 𝗻𝗮𝗽. 𝗜𝗳 𝗶𝘁 𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗮 𝗿𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗰𝗸, 𝗜 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗱𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿."

Masih ingat tak bila kali pertama anda terfikir soal "infiniti"?

Mesti pecah kepala kan fikir?

Mungkin konsep tiada noktah ini mula sewaktu kita belajar tentang Akhirat: di mana manusia hidup selamanya-lamanya! Nak minta apa, minta! Tiada batas, tiada penghabisan!

Ataupun waktu kita berkelah di tepi pantai & tanya mak, "Ada berapa pasir kat pantai?" Mak kita jawab, "tak terhingga, banyak sangat nak."

Berkerut-kerut kepala kita memikirkan maksud "infiniti"

Infiniti boleh jadi muzik yang memaikan lagu sama berulang kali tanpa henti. Inifiniti boleh jadi engkau enak menjilat aiskrim yang tak akan habis. Infiniti juga adalah seperti manusia; dari moyang, ke nenek beranak pinak ke ibu, ke anak, ke cucu, ke cicit, ke piut, ke piat, ke miat ke—

Jadi, kalau cakap pasal inifiniti, apa perkara pertama yang timbul di fikiran anda?

[Laura Salas · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was excited to see this book, since I have the bare beginnings of an infinity-related picture book manuscript in a drawer. I can’t get anywhere with it! So I was eager to see how Hosford worked with it.

This is a lovely picture book in which a little girl, Uma, looks for a definition of infinity. It’s a combination of metaphors (like music that goes in a circle) and momentous questions (“But if there’s no school before recess, and no school after recess, is it really recess anymore?”). It’s a combination of the vast and the specific (why hasn’t anyone noticed Uma’s shiny new red shoes?). Like kids, this book asks both profound and silly questions, and I think this will really strike a chord with readers.

An author’s note at the end gives kids more background and encourages them to come up with new ways to imagine infinity.

[Lu Benke · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okay, here's one of those books that really should be considered nonfiction. There is a very simple, unobtrusive narrative, but the book is much more about explaining the concept of infinity in several different ways. Yet, I would not put it in the 500's with the math or space books, but perhaps in the 400's because of its multiple ways of defining a concept. I'm also not sure that a child under third grade would easily conceptualize the examples given, nor the thoughts in the author's note at the end. Even the illustrations had the look and somber feel of more sophistication than a preschooler would typically enjoy. As for the ending, I couldn't help but contrast little Uma's realization that her love for her grandmother was as great as infinity with the mother's refrain in Munsch's book Love You Forever. This proclamation of undying love is much easier to take.

[Jim Erekson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wonder if this shouldn't be its own genre. Ever since Ruth Krauss did A Hole is to Dig, it seems like the book based on child interviews is a 'thing'. This could be called a concept book, but it's really more of an inquiry book. The main effort of the character is to learn more.

Gabi Swiatowska's illustrations make this book what it is. It's got a somewhat dark tone to it, because of the overall palette she chooses, which is unusual and interesting. Her figures seem like close studies of Dusan Kallay's illustrations--there's even one page where the grandma's fingers close in a Buddhist iconic sign which is something I've seen Kallay do many times. Mostly it's the faces that hark to Kallay's work. Swiatowska tempers the dark palette with colorful elements that really stand out by contrast on each page.

[Jenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun exploration of ways to consider or visualize infinity...as the infinity symbol turned into a race track with a race car driven around and around, or as a family that started with great, great...grandparents and continues to grandparents, parents, children, grandchildren and on and on. Or infinity is the number of stars in the sky.

Includes an author's note that briefly explains the importance of infinity and several children's comments about infinity as well as a challenge to find your own way to imagine infinity.

I love this book's concept as well as how it was carried out. And I love the illustrations.

[Robin · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an unusual book! A little girl wonders about infinity. It's a big concept, but her thoughts and those of family, teachers, and friends who she asks about it do ring true (the author writes about asking k-2nd graders their thoughts, and it shows.) Hosford makes the subject approachable for young kids -- Uma is as concerned with someone noticing her new red shoes as she is with her questions about infinity. Includes the infinity symbol (a napping 8), thinking of infinity when looking at the stars, or a family tree.

Illustrator is from France, and very distinctive.

[Karen A. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just the right amount of philosophical inquiry. Beautiful illustrations nicely compliment the concepts. The illustrations also give the book a lovely atmosphere that has a perfect mix of childhood whimsy with accents of darker grown up ideas. I love that the author is able to demonstrate in a very meaningful way that the big scary universe is less scary when you are with someone you care about.

[Kris · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is really clever! I never really thought about how hard it is to explain the concept of “infinity” to kids, but it is. And this helped my 6-year old to understand. About 2/3rds of the way through he yelled, “It’s like a circle. It never ends!” It was like a lightbulb went off in his head. So cool to see.

[Alyson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great combinations that really work in this book:

* Nice story and consideration of a math/philosophical question
* Pondering infinity and new red shoes at the same time
* Well written and beautifully illustrated

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

A big-picture book that stays rooted in one particular voice & character. Quirky, beautiful illustrations are a good match for representing the process of imaginative thinking.

http://unendliches.net/english/

NYT Best Illustrated 2012

[Molly · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fantastic book--the best picture book I've seen lately. The pictures are beautiful and richly imagined and the story recreates a young child's meditation on a complicated concept, which brings me back to my own young wonderings on the subject.

[Edward Sullivan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A young girl tries to understand and imagine the infinite in this stunning, lushly illustrated story.

[Ms. B · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fans of Jon Scieszka and Lane Smith's Math Curse will enjoy this one. Math in a picture book.

[Florence Turnour · Rating 5 out of 5]

This beautifully illustrated book features an inquisitive little girl pondering infinity. We should all explore math in the ways Uma does, thinking to ourselves and talking with others. #LetsDoMath

[Maria · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great book to get children familiar with abstract notions such as "infinity". All the situations can spark very interesting discussions.

[Malina · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good starting point for younger children wondering about infinity . Lovely illustration !

[Baby Bookworm · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review was originally written for The Baby Bookworm. Visit us for new picture books reviews daily!

Hello, friends! Our book today is Infinity And Me, written by Kate Hosford and illustrated by Gabi Swiatkowska, a unique and ambitious story of a little girl contemplating the meaning of infinity.

The day that Uma got her new red shoes, she went out to look at the night sky and wonder. There were so many stars, Uma realized that she could never count them all. There could be millions, or billions, or even infinity. Suddenly Uma felt very small. She asks her friends and teachers what they think of when they ponder infinity, and they each give a different response; some make Uma happy, some make her feel overwhelmed and anxious. At last, when her Grandmother compliments her beloved new red shoes, Uma realizes that she knows exactly what infinite means – her love for her Grandmother is the very definition of infinity.

Conceptually, this is a book unlike any I’ve seen before. Using Victorian-inspired visuals with a Dadaist twist, it attempts to give context to the concept of infinity for young readers and honestly, it did an amazing job at this! It gave thought-provoking examples, even a couple that could be replicated by the reader, and supported them with strange and wonderful art. And with a warm and loving ending, it ties together the scientific and the sentimental beautifully. The length is fine, and JJ seemed to enjoy this one as much as I did. If you’re looking for a very different storytime tale that will inspire your little one to ask some big questions, this may be the one for you. And for us, it’s Baby Bookworm approved!

Be sure to check out The Baby Bookworm for more reviews!

[Hebe Way · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very heart-warming read that captures childhood in such a clever way. Uma, a young girl, begins to feel overwhelmed as she looks into the night sky and contemplates how many stars there could be up there. She comes to the conclusion that infinity is the answer, but she can't comprehend what this huge number actually looks like. On a quest to find out what infinity means to those around her, Uma questions her friends and family who all come up with jovial, imaginative and thought-provoking suggestions. Hosford does a wonderful job at dealing with this concept that can be so hard to rationalise! The illustrations cannot go without mention. They are beautifully intricate and really add to the quaintness 0f this charming story that invites intrigue and enquiry.

On 'Numbers Day' in Year 5, which is where schools focus on maths and numbers with the aim to help raise awareness and money for the NSPCC, we looked at this book as inspiration for our maths lesson. I read the book to them and projected the pages so that the children could look at these as I read aloud. We then began to discuss what infinity meant to us and after lots of rich discussion, some children did research into infinity and others wrote speech bubbles about what infinity meant to them and how they interpreted its understanding. I then created a display with all of the research, ideas and thoughts about infinity that we had collated as a class and it was a lovely way to represent this maths lesson, which had been all about enquiry, investigation and imagination.

Within the book there are lots of mathematical explanations for the meaning of infinity and so as well as it being used as an inspiring way to conduct a maths lesson, it could also be used in the classroom in multiple ways in english, science and art. However, this book is just as effective and fantastic to read as a shared book for promoting discussion through speaking and listening.

A fabulous book that I highly recommend and if for no other reason, just to enjoy!

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinated by all the stars in the sky, eight-year-old Uma begins wondering about the concept of infinity. At school the next day, she asks classmates for their explanations of infinity, and then later, her grandmother and several teachers. The more she talks to others and thinks about it, the more her head begins to hurt while trying to understand something that goes on forever. She finally gets it once she feels an infinite amount of love for her grandmother who remarks on her pretty red shoes. My favorite pages in the title are the two in which the school cook suggests that Uma cut a noodle in half and then in half again and then tells her to imagine cutting the noodle in her mind. Back matter includes addtional information about infinity and an infinite numbers. The illustrations are simply beautiful, showing close-up views of Uma's eyes and an oversized ice cream cone and noodle. The endpapers also contain several strings of numbers, making this a marvelous introduction to a mind-blowing mathematical concept.

[Viviane Elbee · Rating 5 out of 5]

My kids LOVE math and big numbers, so they loved this book. One of them told me he had wanted to write this book, and was so glad it existed!

It does a great job explaining infinity using many different examples.

It could definitely be used in classrooms to help children visualize infinity.

Intertwined with the infinity question is a sweet story about the girl's relationships with others and her love for her grandmother... so the storyline appeals both to the heart and the mind.

This book seems to be for older preschoolers and elementary students since it deals with the concept of infinity. (It is also slightly longer text-wise.)

If you've got children who love big numbers and math, this one's good to try.

[Peacegal · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting concept for a children's book, with unique, gently surreal illustrations.

Although, I will say that I was more than a little weirded out by the inclusion of a chicken who happily bounds and scampers throughout the pages, including being cradled by the child like a pet, and then at the end of the book the little girl eats a chicken dish for dinner. The hen friend isn't seen after that remark.

[Megan Francis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Magnificent illustrations aside, it's nice to read a smart book with such a pensive and lovable main character. This is one of the best children's books I have read in a long time. It will be a classic in my home.

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great look at the concept of infinity from a child's perspective. The charming illustrations by Gabi Swiatkowska evoke the Victorian science journals and publications and add a wonderful dimension to the telling of the story.