Books You Can Count On: 30 Counting and Number Books for Kids

Quality picture books are the perfect resource for integrating literacy with math concepts. Well constructed books simplify big ideas and tricky, abstract concepts in ways that make it easier for children to grasp new information.This collection of counting books includes books for younger children learning the names of numbers to ten and learning to count with one-to-one correspondence, as well as books for children in primary or elementary school who are learning about bigger numbers (and much, much bigger numbers).

Using these counting books as inspiration for your math learning activities extends their learning potential even further.

Counting Books for Toddlers & Preschoolers

One Duck Stuck by Phyllis Root When one poor duck gets stuck in the muck, who will rescue him? Will it be two fish, tails going swish? Or three moose, munching on spruce? Available: Amazon | The Book Depository

Mouse Count by Ellen Stoll Walsh Count to ten and back again with these charming mice as they escape from a hungry snake. Available: Amazon | The Book Depository

The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle This fabulous classic is perfect for teaching children early number concepts and the days of the week. Available: Amazon | The Book Depository

12 Ways to Get to 11 by Eve Merriam A counting adventure that teaches children twelve witty and imaginative ways to count to eleven. Available: Amazon | The Book Depository

Ten Apples on Top by Dr Seuss Seuss is at his hilarious best with this funny tale of a lion, a tiger and a dog all competing to see who can complete the trickiest task while balancing apples on their head! Available: Amazon | The Book Depository

Let’s Count Goats by Mem Fox A fun rhyming romp with a gaggle of goats that is great for counting up to ten and back again. Available: Amazon | The Book Depository

One Is A Snail, Ten Is A Crab by April Pulley Sayre and Jeff Sayre If one is a snail and two is a person, we must be counting by feet! Follow the sign to the beach, to count feet in a number of silly and surprising combinations. Available: Amazon | The Book Depository

Bear Counts by Karma Wilson A delightful first counting book for toddlers and preschoolers – “Numbers, numbers everywhere, can you count along with bear?” Available: Amazon | The Book Depository

How Do Dinosaurs Count to Ten? by Jane Yolen toddlers A fun dino counting book for younger dinosaur fans of this fabulous dinosaur series by Jane Yolen. Available: Amazon | The Book Depository

Quack and Count by Keith BakerPS A beautifully illustrated introduction to counting and addition to seven. Fabulous for toddlers and preschoolers. Available: Amazon | The Book Depository

One to Ten and Back Again by Sue Heap and Nick Sharratt A lovely, simple counting story sharing the likes of two friends as they count up to ten and back to one again Available: The Book Depository

The Hueys in None the Number by Oliver Jeffers There are not many counting picture books that include zero, which this one does in the form of ‘none.’ It includes an interesting anecdote about the importance of zero to mathematicians. Available: Amazon | The Book Depository

Count the Monkeys by Mac Barnett A rather silly counting book that is sure to have your children laughing out loud! Available: The Book Depository

How Many Bugs in a Box? by David A Carter A super fun, interactive counting book with fabulous pop ups. Available: Amazon | The Book Depository

Over in the Ocean: In a Coral Reef by Marianne Berkes A lovely variation of the classic rhyme, Over in the Meadow, introducing children to counting to ten with gorgeous sea life. Available: Amazon | The Book Depository

Fish Eyes: A Book You Can Count On by Lois Ehlert Learn to count the brilliantly coloured fish swimming through the pages of this beautiful watery world. Available: Amazon | The Book Depository

Ten Black Dots by Donald Crews What can you do with ten black dots? Rather a lot! Using words and pictures, Crews shows kids what one dot can do, then two dots, then three, up to ten. Available: Amazon | The Book Depository

How Many Snails? by Paul Giganti A great counting challenge, that teaches the importance of sorting and grouping too. Available: Amazon | The Book Depository

Number and Counting Books for Kids Aged 5+

The Water Hole by Graeme Base Part counting book, part puzzle book, part storybook, the visual feast which is The Water Hole engages readers with a mystery to solve. Available: Amazon | The Book Depository

Anno’s Counting Book by Mitsumasa Anno A beautiful visual story of a growing town, told over the course of a year. Anno’s marvellous creation offers many opportunities to count to 12 and to talk about sorting, groups and sets. Available: Amazon | The Book Depository

How Many Legs? by Kes Gray A hilarious counting book featuring four-legged and two-legged and eight-legged friends. Makes a great introduction to addition too. Available: Amazon | The Book Depository

Uno’s Garden by Graeme Base A beautifully illustrated story with an important environmental message and opportunities for engaging elementary/primary students with a range of number concepts. Available: The Book Depository

365 Penguins by Jean-Luc Fromental Imagine finding a penguin mysteriously delivered to your door every day for a year! Such is the dilemma for the family in 365 Penguins, with lots of fun opportunities for counting. Available: Amazon | The Book Depository

Spaghetti and Meatballs for All by Marilyn Burns The wonderful story offers lots of opportunities for elementary/primary children to engage with numbers – counting, multiplying, dividing – as well as learning about perimeter. Available: Amazon | The Book Depository

For more in this category, check out our list of books about counting to one hundred.

Books Exploring BIG Numbers

How Big Is a Million? by Anna Milbourne Pipkin the penguin sets out to discover how many make a million, exploring ten, a hundred and a thousand along the way. Available: Amazon | The Book Depository

How Many Jellybeans? A Giant Book of Giant Numbers by Andrea Menotti How many jelly beans are enough? How many are too many? Aiden and Emma can’t decide. Available: Amazon | The Book Depository

A Hundred Billion Trillion Stars by Seth Fishman Math, science and an all-around interesting story are to be found in this picture book exploring the vast numbers in the universe. Available: Amazon | The Book Depository

Millions, Billions and Trillions: Understanding Big Numbers by David A Adler What does a million look like? Or a billion? Or a trillion? This book explains the largest numbers in ways children can visualise and understand. Available: Amazon | The Book Depository

Animals By the Numbers by Steve Jenkins How many species are there across the globe? How much do all of the insects in the world collectively weigh? How far can animals travel? Steve Jenkins answers these questions and many more with numbers and innovative images. Available: Amazon | The Book Depository

How Much is a Million? by David M. Schwartz “If you wanted to count from one to one million it would take you about 23 days!” This books helps children infer how large a group of a million, billion and trillion really is. Available: Amazon | The Book Depository

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