About the Holiday
World Logic Day, sponsored by UNESCO in association with the International Council for Philosophy and Human Sciences aims to raise awareness and appreciation of the intellectual history, significance, and practical uses of logic to the broad community of scientists as well as the public. Celebrations of the holiday center on promoting international cooperation, supporting the development and activities of logic within universities, research facilities, and schools, and enhancing the understanding of logic and its implications for science, technology, and innovation.
Lia & Luís: Who Has More? (Storytelling Math)
Written by Ana Crespo | Illustrated by Giovana Medeiros
When Luís and his sister Lia were playing together, Luís worked quickly and bragged about the rickety tower he’d built. Lia didn’t really mind because she liked to take her time. Lia’s tower may have been shorter, but it stayed up longer. After playing, they ran “downstairs to their family’s store [to] pick their favorite Brazilian snacks.” Luís told his father, “I want biscoito de polvilho, Papai!” while Lia said, “Coxinhas de galinha, please!”
Image copyright Giovana Medeiros, 2020, text copyright Ana Crespo, 2020. Courtesy of Charlesbridge.
Papai handed Luís a bag of little nuggets and put two pear-shaped treats in a bag for Lia. Again, Luís began bragging, showing his sister that he had more than she did. This time Lia didn’t like it. But was Luís right? His bag was bigger than Lia’s. It was four blocks high and Lia’s bag was only two blocks high. Luís’s bag was also wider and deeper than Lia’s.
But Lia noticed something else. “Can’t you count?” she says then points out that she has two croquettes while her brother has only one bag. Could she be right about having more? Luís can’t leave this challenge unanswered, so he opens his bag and spills out the contents on the table. Lia looks at all of the tiny nuggets but is still unconvinced. She picks up a biscuit and a croquette. They are definitely different sizes and weights.
Image copyright Giovana Medeiros, 2020, text copyright Ana Crespo, 2020. Courtesy of Charlesbridge.
Luís begins to put a biscuit in his mouth, but Lia wants him to wait. “Para!” she tells him. Lia takes some time thinking about the problem. Finally, she has an idea. She gets the scale from the family store and puts her croquettes on one side and Luís’s biscuits on the other. The scale dips toward Lia; “she wins.” Lia doesn’t like seeing her brother so sad. She thinks again and has another idea. She breaks off a bit of a croquette and adds it to Luís’s biscuits. The scale balances! They eat up all their snacks. Will Papai give them mais?
Following the text readers will find a Glossary of Portuguese words used in the story and an Exploring the Math page, which describes the math concepts contained in the story as well as activities kids and adults can do to reinforce the math learning.
Image copyright Giovana Medeiros, 2020, text copyright Ana Crespo, 2020. Courtesy of Charlesbridge.
In her charming Storytelling Math book, Ana Crespo effectively uses siblings’ natural competitive spirit to explore concepts of comparing and measurement. These include size (and the comparatives taller, wider, deeper), quantity, and weight. As the story opens, Luís has built a taller tower than his sister, the image of which is later used to compare Lia’s snack to Luís’s. Crespo combines an engaged narrator plus dialogue sprinkled with Portuguese words that are organically defined to create a lesson in math that will keep readers turning the pages to see who actually does have more. As Lia and Luís try various methods to find an answer, kids can take time too to think about how they would solve the problem and discuss the idea of “more” and how they would define it. Lia and Luís may be competitive, but they’re also cooperative, making this a sweet sibling story as well.
Giovana Medeiros’s bright, crisp illustrations of these enthusiastic twins clearly depicts the math concepts discussed while also portraying the distinct personalities of Lia and Luís, inviting readers to root for one or the other or to just wait and see who wins. Medeiros includes lots of other opportunities to interact with math through counting the twins’ blocks, items on the shelves and in the display case of the family’s store, and the biscuits poured out on the table. Images of the balance scale allows kids to see how Lia’s croquettes weigh more and how adding a bit of one gives Luís the same amount by weight that Lia has. Speech bubbles and the characters’ actions help readers translate the Portuguese words themselves.
Sure to inspire kids to explore the cabinet, fridge, or classroom and engage with the math of comparing and measuring for themselves, Lia & Luís: Who Has More? would be a fun book to add to home, classroom, and public library collections to spark observations and experimentation that lead to deeper STEM learning.
Ages 3 – 6
Charlesbridge, 2020 | ISBN 978-1623541279 (Hardcover) | ISBN 978-1623541859 (Paperback)
Discover more about Ana Crespo and her books on her website.
To learn more about Giovana Medeiros, her books, and her art, visit her website.
World Logic Day Activity
Lia & Luís: Who Has More? Activity Kit
You can have fun experimenting with math using your toys, snacks, and other household items with the downloadable Activity Kit available on the Charlesbridge website!
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