Operations

Name: Operations
ISBN: 9787203128731

Heng Xiaofen / 小虾米Shanxi People's Publishing House · ChinaOct 2026

3.2

Word count: 96 words
Chapters: 17
ISBN: 9787203128731

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Summary

This book covers the ancient counting rods, the abacus as the fifth great invention, operation symbols that keep order, why addition must come first, careful and attentive subtraction, and multiplication with great wisdom.

Editor's review

This is a popular-science book that tells the story of arithmetic knowledge. The author starts with traditional Chinese calculating tools such as counting rods and the abacus, then moves to the origins of operation symbols and the respective roles of addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division, restoring seemingly dry arithmetic knowledge to a lineage with origins and logic. By stressing that "addition must come first," "subtraction requires care and attentiveness," and "multiplication has great wisdom," the book is in fact helping readers build an overall understanding of the relationships among the four operations, rather than memorizing rules in isolation. With the illustration style of the author Xiaoxiami, abstract concepts become easier to visualize. It suits parent-child reading or extracurricular browsing by lower- and middle-grade elementary students, and also parents and teachers who want to add a background in mathematical culture for children. There is no need to finish it in one sitting; reading chapter by chapter in step with classroom progress, handling and calculating along the way, works better.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Lower- and middle-grade elementary students learning the four operations who need to understand what the operations mean
Parents who want to add a background in mathematical culture for their children and are looking for parent-child reading material
Elementary math teachers who need material for classroom introductions or extensions into math history
General readers interested in traditional calculating tools such as counting rods and the abacus

Not a good fit for

Students preparing for exams who need systematic problem drills and improved problem-solving techniques
Middle school students with a solid arithmetic foundation seeking higher-level mathematical thinking training
Readers who want strict textbook-style definitions and accompanying exercises

Reading tips

Read in chapter order, and for each operation have the child actually perform it with objects or fingers to deepen understanding.
When reading together, start with the counting rods and abacus sections, then extend with games using an abacus or small sticks at home.
When reaching the origins of operation symbols, encourage the child to draw them or invent a story about a symbol to strengthen memory.
Teachers can break the book's content into short pre-class stories, spending two or three minutes each lesson to introduce a new concept.

About the publisher

Shanxi People's Publishing House China · Founded in 1951

Founded in 1951, Shanxi People's Publishing House is a comprehensive publisher known for its books on history, culture and fine arts, with a list covering politics, economics, history, culture, ancient texts, art, and textbooks and teaching materials. Judging from the 108 titles in the database, history and biography form an important part of its output: Huang Yongnian's A History of Chinese Politics from the Sixth to the Ninth Century, Zhu Dongrun's Biography of Zhang Juzheng and Agricultural Geography of the Song Dynasty reflect a solid grounding in historical scholarship and ancient texts. In biography and social science it has published works such as Pursuit: Comfort Woman Park Young-hee and Her Sisters. In the areas of inspirational growth and foreign literature, Chinese translations of Dale Carnegie's How to Win Friends and Influence People and How to Stop Worrying and Start Living, and Hemingway's The Old Man and the Sea, enrich its popular reading list. Its authors include Huang Yongnian, Zhu Dongrun, Dale Carnegie, Hemingway and Su Zhiliang, giving the house an overall profile centred on history, culture and the humanities and social sciences, while also embracing popular inspirational and classic literary titles.

版权信息
写给小读者的话
古老的小棍子：算筹
第五大发明：珠算
维持秩序的运算符号
加法必须排第一名
认真又细心的减法
有大智慧的乘法
除法性格很温柔
乘方与开方的叛逆
实用的四舍五入
求见最大公因数
寻找最小公倍数
通分与约分会魔法
美丽的黄金比例
爱探索的计算公式
多快好省的云计算

FAQ

What grade level is this book suitable for?

Judging from the content, which involves counting rods, the abacus, operation symbols, and the basic meanings of the four operations, it is best suited to lower- and middle-grade elementary children who have already encountered addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. Younger children can read with a parent explaining, while middle-grade children can read independently and do hands-on activities.

Does the book teach math knowledge or math history?

Both. It starts with traditional calculating methods such as counting rods and the abacus, also introduces the origins of operation symbols, and then addresses the characteristics of addition, subtraction, and multiplication—providing both historical context and help in understanding what the operations themselves mean.

Will a child with an average math foundation have trouble reading this book?

No. The book focuses on concepts and stories and does not rely on complex calculations, so children with an average foundation can understand it. It is recommended that a parent or teacher read along and demonstrate with objects at abstract points; this can actually help fill gaps in the child's understanding of what the operations mean.

Can this book replace a math workbook?

No. It emphasizes the cultural background and conceptual understanding of arithmetic and does not provide systematic problem drills. It can serve as extracurricular supplementary reading alongside classroom exercises, helping children understand "why we calculate this way," but it cannot replace problem drills.

Comments

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About the author

Heng Xiaofen Author · Chinese · 1979

Heng Xiaofen, born in Gushi County, Henan Province, in October 1979, holds a master's degree from Henan University and currently teaches at Xinyang Normal University in Henan, writing freelance in her spare time. Public information about her is limited. Judging from the 24 titles held in the collection, her interests span inspirational and personal growth writing, popular science, culture, industrial technology and social sciences. She has produced motivational books on family and children's education, popular works on Chinese culture such as Tales of Chinese Grotto Culture, Tales of Chinese Tomb Culture and Tales of Chinese City Culture, as well as archaeological popular science like Archaeological Treasures: China's Ten Greatest Discoveries. Her writing tends to link specialized knowledge through thematic narrative, making more technical subjects accessible to general readers, and she has published steadily in both family education and the popularization of traditional Chinese culture.

小虾米 Author

Xiao Xiami is an author in the field of Chinese popular-science comics. Public information about this author is limited, and no clear records of nationality, dates of birth and death, or educational background are available. Judging from the ten works held in the collection, Xiao Xiami's writing centers on science education for beginners, covering fundamental subjects such as chemistry, physics, and mathematics. Representative works include Comic Chemistry ⑥: Fun Chemistry Experiments, Comic Chemistry ④: Acid and Alkaline Solutions, Molecules and Atoms, Air and Matter, Electricity and Magnetism, Oxidation-Reduction Reactions, as well as Comic Mathematics ④: Inequalities and Numbers. These works generally use comics to explain abstract concepts, turning experimental phenomena, material structures, electromagnetic principles, and mathematical relationships into intuitive and accessible images that lower the barrier for young readers. The works are commonly categorized as popular science and social science, reflecting the author's orientation toward making scientific knowledge accessible to the general public, especially students. Overall, Xiao Xiami's works emphasize the combination of knowledge and interest and have a certain influence in basic science education reading materials.