The Dot and the Line: A Romance in Lower Mathematics

by Norton Juster, Chronicle Books, N. Juster

Overview

Once upon a time there was a sensible straight line who was hopelessly in love with a beautiful dot. But the dot, though perfect in every way, only had eyes for a wild and unkempt squiggle. All of the line's romantic dreams were in vain, until he discovered...angles! Now, with newfound self-expression, he can be anything he wants to be—a square, a triangle, a parallelogram....And that's just the beginning!First published in 1963 and made into an Academy Award-winning animated short film, here is a supremely witty love story with a twist that reveals profound truths about relationships—both human and mathematical—sure to tickle lovers of all ages.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781587170669
Publisher:	Chronicle Books LLC
Publication date:	12/01/2000
Pages:	80
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 6.50(h) x 0.50(d)
Lexile:	740L (what's this?)
Age Range:	3 Months to 12 Years

Editorial Reviews

Originally published in 1963, and back just in time for Valentine's Day, The Dot and the Line: A Romance in Lower Mathematics by Norton Juster (The Phantom Tollbooth) once again bursts on the scene. Using only black and red, Juster tells the poignant yet humorous tale of a straight line in love with a red dot, and the line's attempts to woo her away from a slothful squiggle. Much merriment will be had by all before the hero gets his girl. ; Jan.) Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly

A sensible straight line falls "hopelessly" in love with a frivolous red dot. She prefers a wild, uninhibited squiggle. The pun-filled, mock serious text takes us into his dreams, as he tries to "express the inner passionate me." He becomes able to make all sorts of geometric shapes "so complex that he had to letter his sides and angles to keep his place." The dot is overwhelmed, leaving the "anarchy and sloth" of the squiggle behind to go off with the line, to live "if not happily ever after, at least reasonably so." The red dot and black-and-white lines are presented and manipulated in ways that visualize the verbal humor, isolated in metamorphoses or integrated into reproductions of pictures of various kinds, with the dot offering the only touch of color. The resulting images play delightfully with the tongue-in-cheek words in this small format of fun. 2001 (orig. 1963), SeaStar Books/North-South Books. Ages 10 up. Reviewer: Ken Marantz and Sylvia Marantz

Children's Literature