Book Review: Sir Cumference and the Dragon of Pi

Sir Cumference and the Dragon of Pi by Cindy Neuschwander, illustrated by Wayne Geehan
ISBN:  9781570911668

One of King Arthur's knights, Sir Cumference, is turned into a dragon and the knight's son, Radius, must find the right potion and proportion to turn his father back to human, before the dragon is killed. This children's book for grades 2-5 explains the relationship between the number pi (3.14159...), the diameter of a circle, and it's circumference.

While the writing is find, the math is find, and the illustrations are okay, I did not care for this book. It was very tightyly focused on one fact about pi and it's a fact that would lack spark to many students.  There are many other facts about pi that could have been introduced. Unlike Sir Cumference and the First Round Table, the illustrations are just there but not especially helpful at clarifying the relationship.  Additionally, the entertaining puns were sadly absent.  

This is the second in a series of children's math books by Cindy Neuschwander, called A Math Adventure.  While I had intended to buy all of six plus some of her other books, this one is making me rethink that.  I really would like to see the others before I blindly buy more.  What a pity -- could use more fun math children's books.