“Gracefully illustrated with finely shaded drawings. . . . This original story set in fifteenth-century China will captivate readers and perhaps teach them a little about mathematics.” —Booklist
 
“Clever and quietly told in simple, yet evocative language.” —Kirkus Reviews

“Any young reader (with calculator handy) will enjoy the tale.” —Scientific American

“Pittman invites readers into her story through her choice of concrete objects, sensory images, and universal messages. She borrows from the motifs of oral literature, and also weaves in information about arithmetical progression and 15th-Century Chinese people, patterns, and traditions. Pittman's well executed pencil drawings ooze with emotion, and there is a fusion of text and illustrations . . . [A] book that is wise and humorous, and one to be perused and savored.” —School Library Journal