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The Numbers Race
How Shakuntala Devi's Mathematical Mind Zoomed Around the World
Brief Description
This upbeat and accessible picture book biography makes math fun with the true story of record-breaking Indian mathematician Shakuntala Devi taking on the world’s toughest math problems. Little Shakuntala loved to race all over her small town, against her siblings and cousins—and even chickens! But she...
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Format: Hardback
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September 2026
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The Numbers Race
$2899
Unit price
/
Unavailable
This upbeat and accessible picture book biography makes math fun with the true story of record-breaking Indian mathematician Shakuntala Devi as she takes on the world’s toughest math problems.
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Description
This upbeat and accessible picture book biography makes math fun with the true story of record-breaking Indian mathematician Shakuntala Devi taking on the world’s toughest math problems.
Little Shakuntala loved to race all over her small town, against her siblings and cousins—and even chickens! But she wasn’t just speedy on her feet. She raced against numbers in her mind. Shakuntala would count up all the animals at her father’s circus, multiply the times her mother flipped the dough for dosas, and solve her older brother’s long division in her head!
As she grew up, Shakuntala zipped all around the world performing her mathematic magic, racing against professors, the clock—and even a computer! This fast-paced true story celebrates women and girls in STEM and makes solving math problems become the most amazing race you’ve ever watched.
The Numbers Race is an exciting tribute to Shakuntala Devi's extraordinary talent and a delightful inspiration for young readers to embrace the wonders of maths.
Book Details
INFORMATION
ISBN: 9781665957052
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Format: Hardback
Date Published: 05 November 2026
Country: United States
Imprint: Beach Lane Books
Illustration: f-c (spfx: sculpted emboss + spot gloss UV on matte film)+int. ill.; digital
Contributors:
- Illustrated by Chaaya Prabhat
Audience: Children
DIMENSIONS
Spine width: 3.0mm
Width: 229.0mm
Height: 305.0mm
Weight: 0g
Pages: 48
About the Author
Dr. Rekha S. Rajan is a musician, classically trained opera singer, and the USA TODAY bestselling author of over fifteen books for kids and adults, including the This Is Music board book series, Can You Dance Like a Peacock?, Amazing Landmarks, That Swingin’ Sound!, and The Numbers Race. She has a doctorate and a master’s in music education from Teachers College, Columbia University, and a master’s in education from Roosevelt University, where she also received a bachelor’s degree in music. Rekha lives in Chicago with her husband and children. Learn more at RekhaSRajan.com.
Chaaya Prabhat is a graphic designer, illustrator, and lettering artist from Chennai, India. She received her master’s in graphic design from Savannah College of Art and Design and now works on picture books, covers, and digital illustration projects. Her books include Anni Dreams of Biryani by Namita Moolani Mehra, Glitter Everywhere! by Chris Barton, A Taste of Honey by Rebecca Sheir, and The Numbers Race by Rekha S. Rajan. Chaaya now lives in Goa, India. Learn more at ChaayaPrabhat.com.
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