About the Author

Hans Magnus Enzensberger is the author of many highly lauded books, including Civil Wars: From L.A. to Bosnia. He lives in Munich.

Rotraut Susanne Berner is an illustrator who lives in Heidelberg.

Michael Henry Heim is a prize-winning translator who teaches at UCLA.

Reviews

"Rare and glorious." --Michael Pakenham, Baltimore Sun "Entertaining, amusingly illustrated . . . Adults who know a little about math will find this book as enlightening as younger readers will." --Martin Gardner, Los Angeles Times "Charming and seductive . . . We all might learn more if we each had an Enzensbergian devil to beguile us into a dream and to give us a glimpse of the beauty and power of mathematics." --John Allen Paulos, The New York Review of Books "Interesting and fun at the same time." --The Guardian "Exceptionally handsome four-color illustrations and vignettes deepen the magic of this mathematically minded fantasy. . . . Even mathematical equations look festive here, hand-printed in warm muted tones. . . . This will be a favorite." --Publishers Weekly (starred review)

Exceptionally handsome four-color illustrations and vignettes deepen the magic of this mathematically minded fantasy, Enzensberger's (Europe, Europe) first book for children. Robert is plagued by bad dreams until a mysterious creature called the Number Devil appears to him one night. Robert, who hates everything to do with numbers, thinks it just another nightmare, but, surprisingly, finds himself fascinated by the intricacies of mathematics as taught by the exacting but always enthusiastic Devil. In a series of 12 dreams, Robert (and the reader) are introduced to ever more complex theories, from different kinds of infinity to triangular numbers. In Number Hell/Number Heaven, Robert and the Devil meet famous mathematicians of the past and Robert is inducted into the ranks of number apprentices. Surreal touches (numbers flying in the air, floating in a swimming pool), fanciful names for mathematical terms (prima-donna numbers for prime numbers) and problems posed directly to the reader contribute to the playful tone. The generous and strategic use of color, however, provides the biggest boost: even mathematical equations look festive here, hand-printed in warm muted tones. Berner's witty spot and full-page illustrations also work to clarify mathematical principles. Many readers, unused to a novel of ideas, may well be daunted by the string of mathematical concepts, particularly because the reasoning behind several of the "tricks" demonstrated by the Devil is only glancingly addressed. But for certain kinds of readers‘chess players, puzzle enthusiasts‘this will be a favorite. Ages 11-up. (Oct.)

"Rare and glorious." --Michael Pakenham, Baltimore Sun "Entertaining, amusingly illustrated . . . Adults who know a little about math will find this book as enlightening as younger readers will." --Martin Gardner, Los Angeles Times "Charming and seductive . . . We all might learn more if we each had an Enzensbergian devil to beguile us into a dream and to give us a glimpse of the beauty and power of mathematics." --John Allen Paulos, The New York Review of Books "Interesting and fun at the same time." --The Guardian "Exceptionally handsome four-color illustrations and vignettes deepen the magic of this mathematically minded fantasy. . . . Even mathematical equations look festive here, hand-printed in warm muted tones. . . . This will be a favorite." --Publishers Weekly (starred review)