A Grain of Rice

Over 200,000 copies sold! Now with a newly refreshed design, this classic mathematical folktale tells the story of a clever farmer who outwits the Emperor of China and becomes the wealthiest man in the world—all starting with one grain of rice.

When a humble farmer named Pong Lo asks for the hand of the Emperor’s beautiful daughter, the Emperor is enraged. Whoever heard of a peasant marrying a princess?

But Pong Lo is wiser than the Emperor knows. And when he concocts a potion that saves the Princess’s life, the Emperor gladly offers him any reward he chooses—except the Princess.

Pong Lo makes a surprising request. He asks for a single grain of rice, doubled every day for one hundred days. The baffled Emperor obliges—only to discover that if you’re as clever as Pong Lo, you can turn a single grain of rice into all the wealth and happiness in the world!

A Bank Street Best Book of the Year for 9 to 12

Praise for A Grain of Rice:

“Gracefully illustrated. . . . 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

“[A] book that is wise and humorous, and one to be perused and savored.” —School Library Journal

HELENA CLARE PITTMAN is the author of numerous books for children, including the acclaimed A Grain of Rice, The Snowman's Path, The Angel Tree, and Once When I Was Scared.

You can visit her at Helena Clare Pittman at helenaclarepittman.com.