Mathematics & Measurement

Wild Fibonacci: Nature's Secret Code Revealed!

Name: Wild Fibonacci: Nature's Secret Code Revealed!
Author: Carol Schwartz
ISBN: 9781582461540

by Carol Schwartz

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Overview

1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34. . . Look carefully. Do you see the pattern? Each number above is the sum of the two numbers before it. Though most of us are unfamiliar with it, this numerical series, called the Fibonacci sequence, is part of a code that can be found everywhere in nature. Count the petals on a flower or the peas in a peapod. The numbers are all part of the Fibonacci sequence. In Wild Fibonacci, readers will discover this mysterious code in a special shape called an equiangular spiral. Why so special? It mysteriously appears in the natural world: a sundial shell curves to fit the spiral. So does a parrot's beak. . . a hawk's talon. . . a ram's horn. . . even our own human teeth! Joy Hulme provides a clear and accessible introduction to the Fibonacci sequence and its presence in the animal world.

Synopsis

Mary Quattlebaum - Children's Literature

In a unique counting book, Joy Hulme and illustrator Carol Schwartz explore Wild Fibonacci: Nature's Secret Code Revealed. Hulme opens with a double-page spread explaining the mathematical pattern or "Fibonacci sequence" whereby "the next number in the sequence comes from adding the two numbers before it (1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13 ... and so on)." Hulme then points out the prevalance in the natural world of curves based on the sequence: a tiger's claws, a ram's horns, even a seahorse's tail. Short poems provide factual information in an engaging word package as young readers learn about the curved pattern of elephant tusks, parrot beaks and seashells. Acrylic paintings by Carol Schwartz place the creatures in their natural habitats, enabling youngsters to learn more about the larger natural environment. Schwartz's superb artwork manages to be both accurate and lively and exhibits great attention to detail. Kids will have a great time counting the 55 curved beaks that enable the white ibis to "build a nest of sticks, scoop a marshy meal to eat, or feed new baby chicks." 2005, Tricycle Press, Ages 5 up.

About the Author, Carol Schwartz

JOY N.HULME has 1 + 2 = 3, 2 + 3 = 5, 3 + 5 = 8, 5 + 8 = 13 children, grand-children, and great-grandchildren. For years, teachers everywhere have praised her math books. Joy lives in Monte Sereno, California.
CAROL SCHWARTZ has received many honors for her illustrations. She lives in Cincinnati, Ohio, with her husband and two children.

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Editorials

Children's Literature

School Library Journal

Gr 2-4-Whodathunkit? A Fibonacci counting book! Ever since a 13th-century Italian mathematician described this intriguing numeric sequence, people have been discovering this pattern everywhere. Hulme runs through a Fibonacci count from 1 to 89, introducing each number in a colorful spread that shows the numeral as the sum of the two that came before it ("1," "1," "1+1=2," "1+2=3," etc.). The amounts are represented visually by groups of species (e.g., "3+5=8" is illustrated with three leopards and five tigers). The simple rhyming text also points out physical characteristics (talons, teeth, seahorse tails, etc.) that reflect Fibonacci sequencing. Schwartz's handsome, realistic acrylics add impact to the text (though the shells come up one short). An author's note offers a brief history of the subject and gives suggestions for finding these sequences in nature. A diagram provides some visualization of the curve that can be plotted from the numbers, but does not clarify the concept. While some youngsters may be intrigued by this simplistic look at a "new" method of counting, it is difficult to determine for whom this book is intended. Fibonacci sequences may be beyond the grasp of the audience this pictorial work might attract and older children who might be fascinated by the topic could be put off by the format.-Patricia Manning, formerly at Eastchester Public Library, NY Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.

Kirkus Reviews

The organizing principle of this unusual counting book is the mathematical Fibonacci sequence (1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, etc.), which, when plotted on a graph, forms an "equiangular spiral"-a curve frequently found in nature. Thus, one animal with a Fibonacci spiral (walrus tusk) leads to another (elephant tusk), accumulating according to the pattern. Two parrots' beaks, three crocodiles' teeth and five raptors' talons progress to 55 ibises' bills and 89 spiraled seashells. Schwartz's finely detailed illustrations depict the easily counted animals in their habitats, panels at the leading edge of each spread featuring dots and equations that illustrate where readers are in the sequence. Hulme's simplistic verse is disappointingly out of sync with the complexity of the mathematical and zoological concepts here, however; the reader must sludge through a densely packed double-page spread of explanation before launching into the main narrative in order to begin to grasp what is going on. Older readers will rankle at the delivery, and younger readers will miss the point completely. It's an entirely novel way to present a very tricky idea, but it just doesn't add up quite right. (Picture book. 7+)