Zero! The Number That Almost Wasn't

Ages 7 to 10, Grades 2 to 5

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.

About the Author

Sarah Albee is the New York Times bestselling author of more than 100 books for kids, including Troublemakers in Trousers and Accidental Archaeologists: True Stories of Unexpected Discoveries. Prior to being a full-time writer, Sarah worked at Children’s Television Workshop (producers of Sesame Street) for nine years. She played basketball in college, and then a year of semiprofessional women’s basketball in Cairo, Egypt. She lives in Brooklyn, New York.

Author Residence: Watertown, CT

Author Hometown: Burlington, VT

Chris Hsu is a classically-trained and versatile artist who has worked in greeting-card illustration, advertising, and animation, including as a bakground artist on the animated FX spy comedy Archer. He is the illustrator of I Am Someone Else, The Boo-Boos That Changed the World, and Madame Speaker. www.chrishsu.net

Illustrator Residence:Atlanta, GA

Illustrator Hometown:Jacksonville, FL