Dear Math, We're Not Friends - Lina Chopra Haldar - ★★★★

AUTHOR: Lina Chopra Haldar

ILLUSTRATOR: Teresa Martínez

GENRE: Children's Picture Book

PUBLICATION DATE: August 11, 2026

RATING: 4 stars.

In a Nutshell: A picture book in epistolary form, addressing how a boy starts looking at Math as a friend. Cute concept and implementation. Practical. The humorous approach helps. Recommended.

Plot Preview:

Nikhil is an Indian-American boy who hates math. His interests lie in other subjects such as art and reading. So his teacher gives him a simple assignment: treat Math as a friend and write letters to the subject to address his feelings. Initially sceptical, Nikhil is later surprised to learn how Math is a ubiquitous part of life, both at his current age and in his future. Over the course of the school year, his letters to math help him address his fear of Math and find more joy in the subject.

The concept of this picture book is simple, but considering how many children are actually scared of Math, the book is practical and helpful.

I didn’t expect the whole book to be written in epistolary format, so that came as a pleasant surprise. The structure adds a good measure of humour to what would otherwise have been a plain story. As Nikhil writes his letters over the course of a school year, the letters help us to see the gradual improvement in his feelings towards Math. This subtle turnaround is more believable than an instant flip in opinion.

The best thing about the book is how it establishes that Math is ubiquitous though we don’t realise it and that it can even be artistic and funny. Reducing the apprehension kids feel about Math by proving its approachability and day-to-day relevance is key to helping them look at Math as a friend.

The parting note, addressed to adults, contains strategies to overcome math fears. I especially loved the entry that asks to avoid language containing negativity or biases about math.

The illustrations support the content adequately. The colours are nice and vibrant, and the letters look like proper handwritten write-ups, with plenty of doodles and varying colours per letter. Some pages felt a bit cluttered to me, but this might not be an issue in the physical copy.

Overall, this is a cute little picture book for kids who don’t like Math. It might not make Math their new favourite subject but it will teach them not to fear Math so much.

Definitely recommended. This would be a great resource for classroom libraries. The content ought to be suitable for ages 5-8.

My thanks to Broadleaf Books and Beaming Books for providing the DRC of “Dear Math, We're Not Friends”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.