ZERO!
The Number That Almost Wasn't
How did math work before zero existed? A STEM nonfiction book that unpacks a fascinating history of a number we can’t imagine our current world without.
From place value to being created and destroyed before being created again, zero has had quite a journey. Respected children’s author and consummate researcher Sarah Albee lays out the history of zero alongside the complications that initially hampered its development, including Western imperialism.
A riveting nonfiction kids book with a playful feel, Zero! unravels a complicated history in tremendous detail.
illustrated by Chris Hsu
Grade Level: 2nd grade and up
Hardcover: 40 pages
Publisher: Charlesbridge (March 2025)
Praise
★A brilliant unfolding and pacing of the narrative bring order to the near-misses and chaos of zero’s origins, shored up by the various obstacles readers can discover in the time line.
—School Library Journal, starred review
★Appealing digital drawings and rich back matter (uses of zero in everyday language, definitions, a time line, references, a bibliography, and a key to historical clues found in the illustrations) help round out this unique and attractive STEM offering.
—Booklist, starred review
★The book brilliantly traverses the history of zero across time and continents and clearly explains its initial value as a placeholder. Elegant and delightfully intricate illustrations superbly evoke history in clothes and settings.
—Kirkus Reviews, starred review
