He never learned to tie his shoes or do his own laundry, but he became a brilliant and beloved mathematician.

He never learned to tie his shoes or do his own laundry, but he became a brilliant and beloved mathematician.

Most people think of mathematicians as solitary, working away in isolation. And, it's true, many of them do. But Paul Erdos never followed the usual path. At the age of four, he could ask you when you were born and then calculate the number of seconds you had been alive in his head.

But he didn't learn to butter his own bread until he turned twenty. Instead, he traveled around the world, from one mathematician to the next, collaborating on an astonishing number of publications. With a simple, lyrical text and richly layered illustrations, this is a beautiful introduction to the world of math and a fascinating look at the unique character traits that made "Uncle Paul" a great man.

A Kirkus Reviews Best Book of 2013 A New York Times Book Review Notable Children's Book of 2013