One Grain of Rice

Written & illustrated by Demi

A clever girl uses math to teach a greedy raja a lesson in fairness.

4.3/5 Goodreads · 3,213 ratings

40 pages· 1,089 words· Est. 9 min read-aloud

$21.99Save 5%

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Bookroo's summary

In a land plagued by famine, a raja hoards rice, leaving his people hungry. Enter Rani, a village girl with a cunning plan. Granted a reward for her good deed, she requests a single grain of rice, doubled each day for thirty days. As the grains multiply, Rani's cleverness reveals the true power of wisdom and fairness, challenging the raja's greed. Will the raja learn the value of sharing before it's too late? Discover the surprising outcome in this tale of mathematical magic and moral insight.

From the publisher

Long ago in India, there lived a raja who believed that he was wise and fair. But every year he kept nearly all of the people’s rice for himself. Then when famine came, the raja refused to share the rice, and the people went hungry. Then a village girl named Rani devises a clever plan. She does a good deed for the raja, and in return the raja lets her choose her reward. Rani asks for just one grain of rice, doubled every day for thirty days. Through the surprising power of doubling, one grain of rice grows into more than one billion grains of rice - and Rani teaches the raja a lesson about what it truly means to be wise and fair.Demi’s exquisitely detailed art, inspired by traditional Indian miniature paintings, combine with her simple retelling to convey the heart and wisdom of this satisfying mathematical tale.

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