Promotional Information

KenKen is the brilliant successor to Su Doku that's taken Japan by storm selling over one million copies in less than a year. In collaboration with The Times, Collins - the no 1 puzzle publisher - are proud to be bringing it to the UK. KenKen is a new type of brain-training puzzle based on logic and simple arithmetic. Perfect for all ages and highly addictive, KenKen puzzles challenge and entertain in an entirely new way! The puzzle was invented by a charismatic Japanese maths teacher, Tetsuya Miyamoto in 2004. The name comes from 'Ken' which is the Japanese word for clever and KenKen translates as 'square wisdom'. It's a new type of puzzle based on simple arithmetic and each puzzle involves some or all of the following skills: addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. As with Su Doku there are clearly defined levels for each type of puzzle from beginner and intermediate to advanced and the puzzles can be on any size grid, from 3 x 3 up to 9 x 9. The puzzles improve numeracy, logical thinking, concentration and perseverance. Can you KenKen? / A new type of puzzle, first published in Japan to great acclaim / 1.5 million KenKen books sold worldwide in less than a year / Perfect for all ages from 6 to 106 / The Times launched KenKen in both their main newspaper and in the T2 supplement on March 22nd and the response from the public has been resoundingly positive with immediate requests for more puzzles in book form as soon as possible. / Already one of the most searched for words on Times online! / KenKen is the new Su Doku and the successor we have all been waiting for! / The Times KenKen book is the only book in the market. HC has exclusive rights to this trade-marked puzzle. / Nintendo have already launched a KenKen Puzzle game in Japan and aim to roll it out worldwide when the KenKen market is established. / KenKen is excellent for your mental health, stimulating the connections between your brain cells and improving your powers of concentration and calculation / The Times will proactively support the book in both the newspaper and on-line

About the Author

Tetsuya Miyamoto established his own maths class in 1993 and is the founder and instructor of his own maths class in Yokohama, Japan. He pioneered the national success and popularity of the KenKen puzzle in Japan. He spent years inventing KenKen and other puzzles which he has used in his class to strengthen the ‘thinking habits’ of his students. He is the author of the Japanse books translated as ‘The Art of Teaching Without Teaching Books 1 & 2’ which introduce his unique educational methods and beliefs. He has regular columns in several Japanese monthly magazines such as ‘Maths for Middle School’ and ‘Maths for High School’. He regularly lectures to educators and parents in Japan.