The Quest for a Tangram Dragon - by Christine Liu-Perkins (Hardcover)

About the Book

Book Synopsis

A clever and charming introduction to the Tangram puzzle, a classic Chinese shape puzzle that's beloved in early math curriculum.

A brave Little Triangle seeks a Chinese dragon to end the long drought. On the quest, Little Triangle meets other shapes who want to help. Using the magic of tangrams, the shapes do amazing things together:

Two triangles flip and flap to make a butterfly! With a square, they swap and swivel to make a bat! Four shapes jump and bump to become a bird.

But there's still no sign of the dragon they need.

When they reach a mountain, no matter how much they hop and plop, huddle and muddle, or leap and heap, the shapes can't find a way to the top. How will they ever find the dragon they're searching for?

Author Christine Liu-Perkins and illustrator Lynn Scurfield celebrate tangrams in this clever and warm-hearted story about the power of persistence and teamwork.

The book includes tangram shapes for readers to cut out, so they can play with their very own tangram puzzle!

Review Quotes

"In this collaboration-focused guide to the Chinese tangram puzzle, Liu-Perkins and Scurfield introduce seven shapes on a mission to end a drought . . . Offering narrative life to an age-old puzzle, the creators introduce geometric thinking while sparking creativity and underlining themes of teamwork and perseverance." --Publishers Weekly

"This charming picture book brings the tangram to life in an approachable and unconventional way . . . Chinese language, culture, and history are embedded within the story, and back matter gives readers insight into the design of the book while inspiring them to create tangram shapes of their own." --School Library Journal

"A gateway to hours, if not years, of mind-expanding play." --Kirkus Reviews

About the Author

Christine Liu-Perkins is a writer and researcher who specializes in Chinese history and culture. Her book At Home in Her Tomb: Lady Dai and the Ancient Chinese Treasures of Mawangdui unearths one of China's top archaeological finds of the last century. She has a Ph.D in educational psychology. Born in Boston and raised near Kansas City, Christine now lives in Colorado.
christineliuperkins.com

Lynn Scurfield is a mixed media illustrator based in Toronto, Canada. She is the illustrator of several picture books including Flight: Notes from Birdgirl Mya-Rose Craig, Two New Years, and Friends are Friends Forever.
www.lynnscurfield.com