What does the shape of a tall tree have in common with the jagged reach of lightening? What do they both share with a stout stalk of broccoli or the umbrella-like head of Queen Anne’s lace? They are all fractals: shapes made up of smaller parts that look like the whole. It wasn’t until 1975 that mathematician Benoit Mandelbrot noticed this pattern in nature and named these natural shapes “fractals.” Ferns and mountain ranges, the paths of rivers and the veins and arteries in our lungs are all other examples of fractals shown in this work pairing Sarah Campbell’s lively and easy-to-follow narrative with striking photographs. An afterword tells more about Benoit Mandelbrot and discusses ways fractals have been used in human creations, both real (e.g., cell phone antennas) and imagined (“Harry Potter’s invisibility cloak would have been made of fractals”). (Ages 6–10)

Nature's repeating patterns, better known as fractals, are beautiful, universal, and explain much about how things grow. Fractals can also be quantified mathematically. Here is an elegant introduction to fractals through examples that can be seen in parks, rivers, and our very own backyards.

Young readers will be fascinated to learn that broccoli florets are fractals—just like mountain ranges, river systems, and trees—and will share in the wonder of math as it is reflected in the world around us. Perfect for any elementary school classroom or library, Mysterious Patterns is an exciting interdisciplinary introduction to repeating patterns.