About the story
Maryam makes flowers and butterflies out of her grandma’s buttons, but when she sees numbers in her notebook, they scatter like buttons falling out of a tin. Then Grandma brings out an empty egg carton and shows her how to “build homes” for the numbers, so she can see how much each one means without counting. And when the bead box tips over at school, it is Maryam’s way that saves the day.
This is the fourth book in our Different Heroes series, where every hero is a child who learns in a different way. Yousef and Layla are back too.
Who it’s for
- Children aged 5–8
- Children who find numbers confusing, keep counting on their fingers, or have dyscalculia, and their brothers, sisters and classmates
- Parents and teachers who want to build confidence with math in a kind, hands-on way
Reading it together
- Stop and ask: “How do you think Maryam felt during the quick quiz?”
- Grab an egg carton and some buttons and try Grandma’s trick: “Five red and three blue… how many cups are empty?”
- Remind your child what Grandma says: “That’s okay. We’ll gather them again.”
- The PDF also includes tips for parents and teachers and a “Magic Egg Carton” activity with four number games.
Written by Sara Ali Ahmed, special-education teacher, and Mohamed Thabet Ahmed.
