There are so many wonderful children’s books out there to help children learn various math concepts. Here are our favorite children’s books about counting and numbers!
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Because we love integrating math with literature (we actually love integrating everything with literature!), I can’t wait to share some of our favorite math themed children’s books with you!
My two year old has become very interested in counting and recognizing numbers lately. So we’ve been integrating counting into just about every part of our day- counting crackers on our plate at snack time, counting how many bricks we used to build our Duplo tower, counting how many steps we climb up to get to Lucy’s dance class…..we are always counting!
And since we LOVE children’s books, I’ve been focusing on reading more books about numbers and counting with Theo. Some of the books were favorites from my teaching days, and others I just learned about recently. (This post contains affiliate links.)
Children’s Books about Counting and Numbers
Counting Crocodiles: This book actually made it onto our list of teachers’ favorites! Children will love counting all the crocodiles in this silly rhyming story!
The Very Hungry Caterpillar has been one of my favorites ever since I began teaching. Children always love counting all the foods the very hungry caterpillar eats his way through during the story!
Anno’s Counting Book: This book is one of my favorites simply because it’s NOT your usual counting book. It’s like a puzzle that needs to be solved as you try to figure out what Anno is counting throughout the story. So much fun!
Doggies has been one of Theo’s favorite board books for awhile. He started out loving it because of all the dogs, but now he’s seeing it in a new way as he counts along with all the doggie sounds!
Chicka Chicka 1 2 3: If your child loved Chicka Chicka Boom Boom, then you’ll for sure want to check out this book! Instead of letters, this time numbers are climbing up the tree! And, just like the original, it’s full of rhymes and rhythms that always seem to make the kids jump right in!
Ten Black Dots was always a hit with my students back when I was teaching! Not only does it provide many opportunities for counting practice, but it also inspires creativity. What can you make with ten black dots?
One Duck Stuck: Kids always love the fun animal sounds in this book, along with the rhyme and repetitive text. Not only does it promote counting, but it’s also a great lesson on teamwork as well!
Ten Apples Up on Top: This book is a fun one! We love the text (the kids always join in), but I think their favorite part is watching the stacks of apples on the animals’ head increasing as the story progresses. You can also follow up this book with our Ten Apples Up on Top Felt Counting Set!
Over in the Meadow: This is one of our favorite songs to sing, and I love that it’s brought to life in this book! The kids can sing along and count along as you meet all kinds of animals and their babies!
Russell the Sheep: Here’s a super cute book about a sheep that just can’t sleep! He tries everything to fall asleep, including counting all kinds of things. Finally, by counting sheep he’s able to fall asleep!
Duck and Goose 1 2 3: We love Duck & Goose books! This one is just as cute as all the others, and encourages children to count along throughout the story!
The Doorbell Rang: Here’s another favorite from my teaching days! This one isn’t just a counting book, but actually encourages children to notice patterns and to problem solve as more and more people come over to share Grandma’s freshly baked cookies!
Check out our ebook ABCs and 123s! You’ll find 40+ ways to encourage children to explore letters and numbers through play!