How we share cake by Kim Hyo-Eun. Translated by Deborah Smith

Kim Hyo-eun, Korean author/illustrator of I Am the Subway, which was the winner of the 2021 World Illustration Award, has again used her unique design skills to create a picture book that will resonate with children whose families have more than one child. Learning to share and make everything equal and fair is a seemingly common and natural part of growing up in a family. As this book cleverly attests to, it is not always easy.

In this family of three sisters and two brothers with the author being the second born sister, there are daily discussions about how to clearly and correctly share whatever food or items are being presented. There are always different ways to share, and by using maths to solve this they are able to divide and cut into equal amounts where food is concerned or count out equal time to ride the one scooter in the house.  Of course it is not always straight forward, and when sharing a roast chicken with each child liking different parts, it becomes complicated.

Throughout the book the use of Mathematical concepts such as cardinal and ordinal numbers, fractions, word equations and angles provide children with examples of how Maths can be used during the day. The delightful beginning endpapers show the family in a photo montage of their lives with the final endpapers showing them altogether sharing a room. There is a depth to this story which may not be immediately obvious and the glorious pencil and watercolour illustrations add so much more to the narrative.

Themes: Sharing, Siblings, Families, Mathematics.

Kathryn Beilby