Friend of Numbers

The Life of Mathematician Srinivasa Ramanujan

written by Priya Narayanan
illustrated by Satwik Gade

Review posted May 17, 2025.
Eerdmans Books for Young Readers, 2023. First Published in India in 2019. 36 pages.
Review written November 17, 2023, from a library book.
Starred Review
2024 Mathical Book Prize Winner, ages 8-10

I've already read a wonderful picture book biography of the great mathematician Srinivasa Ramanujan, but this one is special because it was written by an Indian for children of India.

This one is also geared a little younger, making Ramanujan's ideas understandable to kids by presenting them as patterns only he could see.

It talks about his childhood in India and how he didn't fit in, and then the changes he had to make to his hair and clothes to move to England to work on mathematics. It tells some stories about Ramanujan that are legendary among mathematicians, like this one:

Another day, Professor Hardy happened to mention that the taxi he had just come in had quite a boring number -- 1729.

"No! It is a very interesting number," Ramanujan shot back. His sharp memory drew out something he'd read about long ago, and on a piece of paper he scribbled:

1729 = (12 x 12 x 12) + (1 x 1 x 1)
1729 = (10 x 10 x 10) + (9 x 9 x 9)

"Look at the pattern!" he exclaimed.

Numbers were his friends. He could remember special things about them, the way that one remembers a friend's birthday.

There are eight pages of notes at the back, including some ideas for readers to explore further. (Make a magic square using your birth date!)

A delightful introduction for kids to the life of this great man.