Maths through Stories

I recently bought these two books and as I'm pleased with them I thought I'd mention them here.
Reading is a central part of my home ed philosophy. Reading widely and reading for enrichment. The boys learn easily this way, alhamdulillah, and seem to retain what they read well. As she is a recent reader I can't be so sure about Ia yet, but she seems keen to read for herself, so it looks hopeful, inshAllah. U can't read yet, but spends ages with books. She has remarked that the advantage of reading without having to see the words is that she can read in bed, even with the light off.
Maths is a tricky subject for reading, and I think one of the reasons the boys don't enjoy it too much is that they can't learn it this way. They are usually happiest to see word problems pages, as they say these are usually easier,and there are fewer problems on the page. I would agree that a page of word problems certainly looks more friendly than a page of figures. A lot of this comes down to attitude.
That is why these books are so good! The Pythagoras one is similar in layout to a story picture book, just like the ones found in the under 5s book boxes in the library, but the content is suitable for anyone who doesn't know, or has forgotten about Pythagoras. The story has a young Pythagoras character working out his theory through practical experiences in daily life, and then helping his parents solve a real life problem. ( An ideal unschooling moment!)
We all read the book straight away! Even DH read the book!!!
The boys also started reading the "Adventures Of Penrose". This one is made up of lots of short stories, covering lots of concepts. It varies in difficulty, and although R started reading it to himself he said he'd like me to read it aloud as well, so he could understand better.
So, I'm really impressed. Anything that gets them browsing through maths stuff and showing an interest is good news. I'll be looking for more of the same, inshAllah.