ZERO: The number That Almost Wasn't

 Zero. 

Nothing to it, right?

Actually, those of us who were raised on Schoolhouse Rock may already be humming

 "ZERO, MY HERO".

(If that's not running as an ear-worm for you right now, feel free to click it and hear the full Schoolhouse Rock story/song on Youtube.)

Which brings me to this remarkable picture book.The song celebrates ways zero helps "us", meaning everyone, in daily life, complex achievements, and more. What if ZERO had not become an essential part of modern calculations? If we had not developed algebra and calculus and complex algorithms that now form the foundations of our speedy calculators and AI programing. Or programing in general. Just imagine (but don't break your brain) all the zeros and ones that undergird what you are reading right now!

CHARLESBRIDGE, 2025

Join me in celebrating the story of how ZERO made its way into our lives. ZERO, THE NUMBER THAT ALMOST WASN'T is written by prolific nonfiction author Sarah Albee and illustrated by Chris Hsu. This lively account of ZERO's journey into our lives opens with reminders of how ubiquitous zero is- on its own or in use with other digits in our decimal numeration system. Wouldn't it be nice to have someone award you a check with six zeroes? If they are worth nothing, why would that get a bigger grin than  a check with only the initial numeral? I know i'd prefer $5,000,000 to $5, wouldn't you? Oh, those zeros pack a punch!

But the author doesn't begin with such extravagance. instead, we see the groundwork laid for pragmatic early human counting- with fingers, stick notches, pebbles, tied strings, and more. Throughout those processes and later in written counting, the concept of nothingness existed. It's how people knew to stop waiting for more sheep, to say that the six figs had all been eaten, to indicate an empty pouch that usually held stones. But NAMING such a concept took millennia. 

The progression of need and efforts unfolds so reasonably in this effective telling that even young readers will "get it". Illustrations are simply drawn and colored, keeping the story kid-friendly, but with volumes of information revealing time, place, cultures, class, and even subtle anchors in time. The illustrator note in back matter reveals intentional elements from research, including the breed of sheep pictured for that period, the recurrence of Haley's Comet or a solar eclipse in other periods, not to mention the accuracy of "incidentals" such a games played, clothing , foods, structures, etc. 

I always found Roman Numerals to be fun and challenging, although I knew others who hated them. They certainly did not deal with ZERO, but had calculation limitations and an awkward inefficiency as civilization grew. Full credit is given to the many ways in which mathematic specialists in Eastern cultures developed the concepts and symbols for ZERO, along with algorithms and strategies for working with large numbers. Trade throughout the near and far East allowed those ideas and processes to find welcome in many cultures. Despite the value and efficiency of ZERO's impact on thinking and economics, Europeans were unwilling to adopt any system other than ROMAN NUMERALS, even long after the fall of the Roman Empire. 

Once printing presses were developed, everyday people became literate in words and numbers, education extended deeper into the community, and Europe gradually saw the light, recognizing the beauty and simplicity of both the conceptual decimal system and its potential for representation in numerals, including ZERO. Back matter includes helpful and very readable elaboration from the author, a map indicating city and regional names referenced since ancient times, a "BLURRY" timeline, and an absolutely wonderful note by the illustrator revealing time-referenced Easter Eggs in various spreads.

I believe anyone and everyone should read this picture book, including older kids and full-on-adults. it is a perfect example of ways that picture books can convey powerful foundational information while entertaining and engaging readers. Give it a try and see if you agree.

Since I'm a bit of a math nerd  (and have been working on a story of my own involving ZERO) I was generally aware of ZERO's  path into our current number systems and symbols. I was both impressed and saddened to read about the very early use of a ZERO symbol by Mayans, insights that never moved beyond that time and place due to cultural destruction and attempted erasure by Spanish colonizers. Sadly, such may be happening for other cultures as I write this, leaving me to ponder what other kinds of beneficial information may never reach us.