Emily Grosvenor is the author of Tessalation!—a children’s math picture book about pattern, nature and wonder. What is a tessellation? It is the use of a single shape to cover an entire area without gaps or overlaps. Our November guest blogger was a fourth grader when she created her first tessellation—a mosaic of interlocking seals jumping out of waves. Ever since then, Emily has enjoyed searching for man-made patterns and patterns in nature. She loves all things that tessellate, from quilts and tiled floors to beehives. Her book, Tessalation!, which tells the story of a young girl named Tessa who discovers the thrilling beauty of patterns in nature, gets younger children excited about the mathematical concept of tessellations and inspires them to look for patterns in their lives. The award-winning reporter, travel writer, essayist, children’s book author and blogger—who earned her B.A. in German from Pennsylvania State University in 2001 and her M.A. in journalism from the University of Iowa in 2008—lives with her family in Oregon.
