The Quest for a Tangram Dragon

K-Gr 2–For hundreds of years, tangrams have been used to support mathematical awareness and problem-solving. In this book, the pieces of the tangram come alive, and they are on a quest to find the dragon who has the power to break the drought in their beloved home. As the pieces join together, they find ways to investigate the world around them by becoming creatures like a butterfly, a fish, a dog, and more. With each new addition, the possibilities of what the pieces can become grow to new heights. This charming picture book brings the tangram to life in an approachable and unconventional way. The pieces of the tangram all have unique personalities, and they demonstrate persistence as they work together to create shapes that are beneficial to their quest. Though there are complementary backgrounds on each page, the tangram pieces themselves are the primary focus of the images, and their specific colors help readers to identify each one. Unfortunately, the text is small and remains static throughout the book, but the storytelling makes the tale well-suited to be shared with classrooms practicing tangrams themselves. Chinese language, culture, and history are embedded within the story, and back matter gives readers insight into the design of the book while inspiring them to create tangram shapes of their own.