“Infinity is what is outside of a galaxy, and outside of that, and on and on.” “If you try to count to infinity, you will die and will still be counting.” Their definitions of infinity thrilled me: After I had a decent rough draft, I decided to interview students ages 4-8 to make sure that my manuscript was appropriate for my target audience.

What did I have to lose? At the very worst, I would try to sell the story and fail, and I thought I could probably deal with that outcome. I decided to try writing a picture book about infinity. When my own sons were little, we would talk about infinity at home, but when I searched for picture books on this topic, I came up with nothing. Children begin talking about infinity at a surprisingly early age, often by the time they are four or five. This might explain why infinity is such an important concept not only in mathematics and science, but in philosophy and religion as well.Īlthough we cannot fully grasp infinity, we can still understand what infinity might be like. If we could only get a handle on this one concept, we might actually be the key to understanding everything else that confounds us, and stave off any impending existential crises. Why is this question so important to them? Because it is the essential existential question if something infinitely big exists, how does that affect me and my place in the universe?Īs adults, this question persists, even though many of us tune it out for periods of time before it bubbles to the surface again. Children get a glimpse of the unknowable, and are then burdened with the knowledge that they will never be able to solve this problem fully. Let’s face it, that moment when we first realize that we will never get to the biggest number, or never reach the edge of the universe is terrifying. This desire often seems to be strongest in childhood. If this concept confounds even the infinity scholars among us, how could it possibly be an appropriate subject for a picture book? One of the many contradictions inherent in infinity is that we have a burning desire to master this concept because we sense that the task is impossible.

Then, quite unexpectedly, the magnificent animal stalks out into full view for a few, fleeting seconds.” You will catch a glimpse of that beauty that stops you in your tracks, but moments later you are not sure if you saw anything at all. It can be like a deer, spotted in the depths of a thick wood. In his excellent book, A Brief History of Infinity, The Quest to Think the Unthinkable, Brian Clegg describes infinity as “a fascinating, elusive topic. Indeed, even infinity experts are reduced to talking about four legged creatures in an attempt to explain infinity’s ineffable nature. A fourth grader recently said to me, “Infinity is a sheep wearing glasses.” When I asked why, he replied, “Because infinity doesn’t make any sense, and neither does a sheep wearing glasses.”

Infinity and Me by Kate Hosford