Mathical Measurement: Rilla Alexander

Measurement is a big topic for children. It’s about making sense of the world around us. This month, Mathical Books coordinator Kirsten Bohl interviews four Mathical authors about measurement, asking them five questions to explore their writing process.

Read the interviews:
Lalena Fisher – Nicola Kent – Rilla Alexander – Mike Downs

1. Measurement + emotion is not an equation many adults consciously resonate with — but children often do. Can you say more about how emotions show up in your book?

Rilla Alexander: I like to think of You Rule as a ruler for ideas and feelings. The book asks questions like “How happy are you?” and offers a variety of possibilities such as “out of sorts,” “content” and “ecstatic.” The question “How brave are you?” suggests options that range from “as frightened as a mouse scurrying back to its hole” and “a little bit vulnerable” to “heroic” and “courageous.”

2. How did you decide to write — and draw — about measurement?

I was invited to submit a proposal for an installation for an exhibition called “Into the Space of Time.” I thought about growing up, and how that affects attributes like courage and kindness. I imagined making a very tall dog that you could measure yourself against. It wouldn’t just tell you your height, but that you are honest or wise.

The measuring dog didn’t end up happening but I showed the sketches to my editor Christopher and he thought there might be a book in there somewhere. And so began a long adventure to figure out what form that might take!

3. Please share one especially surprising fact you learned while making the book.

Something I was very conscious of as I made this book is that these concepts are not always easily put in order from “small” to “big, from “a little” to “a lot.”  For instance, “How much do you have?” asks you to think about whether more necessarily means better.

The possibilities range from “zilch,” “not enough” and “some,” to “too much” and “more than I need.” The sweet spot (in my opinion, anyway) is “all I need” and “enough.” How should that be represented? What I enjoy most about this book is that it opens up conversations like that. You can discuss how context might change your responses and what options are missing. Could you assign numbers to any of these options?

4. Mathical books often have a theme of self-empowerment among children. We want children to learn to love & enjoy math, being mathy and doing math & experiencing their world as knowable, changeable, and worthwhile to play in. Can you say more about how the child / children in your story are “in charge” of their own story?

The boy in my book is based on my nephew Mac, and alongside the questions and answers, you can follow his journey to help his caterpillar friend. He researches what needs to be done and takes the caterpillar to a tree filled with chrysalises. Ultimately the caterpillar emerges as a butterfly and Mac returns home triumphant, into his mother’s arms. It’s a simple story about growing up, love and letting go.

That said, You Rule really is a book that allows the reader to be in charge, prompting thinking and discussions about ideas big and small.

5. Anything else you’d like to share?

The last question in the book is “How much do I love you?” I imagined the answer to that question would be “THIS much!” with the mother’s arms opening up to offer a big hug. In the end, though, I decided the answer should be “IMMEASURABLY!” because it truly is beyond measure.