My mom brain is running through my to do list as I pull my twins along down the sidewalk. My daughter is singing and skipping. My son is taking long strides trying to step over each crack and counting them as he goes. 1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5 he counts as I try to hurry him along.
It would be easy to miss that valuable learning is happening in this moment. As a busy adult, I am often focused on where we need to go and what I need to get done.
When I slow down and take that deep calming breath, I realize that he’s doing what he needs to do. Learning to count is one of the things on his long list of childhood to dos.
Learning number recognition and simple counting skills has long been recognized as an early childhood developmental milestone. There are so many great ways to introduce, practice, and develop number skills. Reading counting books is just one.
These are our favorite 10 counting books.
These counting books explore the concept in a variety of fun ways. Place these books in your reading area, include a few with a counting basket, or create a basket just for books about counting.
14 Great Counting Books for Kids
1. Counting Creatures
by Julia Donaldson
illustrated by Sharon King-Chai
Julia Donaldson, ever the genius at creating a playful picture book, invites readers to count babies of various animals. The illustrations crafted by Sharon King-Chai add luminous color and flaps and holes to peek through that increase the stunning look and playfulness of the book. A wonderful counting picture book for preschoolers.
2. The Noisy Counting Book by Susan Schade and Jon Butler
This silly counting book is one of our absolute favorites. A little boy is trying to fish at a pond until one by one the animals start making noise. Your toddler will love counting and making animal noises along with the book. This is a great one to read aloud to a group.
Find it Online
3. The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle
Eric Carle made the list twice because there are both fantastic and in different ways. THE VERY HUNGRY CATERPILLAR is a classic for many reasons, but the creative way counting is built into the book is one of them. My son loved this book as a toddler mostly because he could poke his little fingers in the holes that the caterpillar crawled through as he counted. We have the board book and hardcover versions of this one.
Find it Online
4. Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed by Eileen Christelow
My kids love any book that you can sing so this was an easy favorite. There are several versions of this song in book form, but this is the best (in my opinion)! I adore Eileen Christelow’s silly little monkeys and the ending is most amusing.
Find it Online
5. The High Street by Alice Melvin
This is such a cool book. The main character Sally has a list of 10 things she needs to buy and off she goes to the shops on High Street. All kinds of silliness can be found behind the flaps of the intriguing and detailed illustrations. The tiny details that make you peer closer reminds me of Mitsumasa Anno‘s beautiful work and the rhyming playful text makes this a perfect read aloud.
Find it Online
6. One Duck Stuck by Phyllis Root
A duck is stuck in the mud. So begins this charming and thoroughly entertaining romp in the mud. This one my kids loved starting in infancy and still find amusing. Great rhymes, amusing characters, and plenty of counting fun for all. The rhyming words make this another great group read aloud.
Find it Online
7. One Gorilla by Anthony Browne
If you have a kid who loves primates – this is a winner. Anthony Browne’s startlingly realistic illustrations capture different species of primate from gorillas to gibbons to lemurs in a simple counting book format. The animals pop off the page with bright colors and incredible detail. A rare and stunning counting book.
Find it Online
8. One Tractor: A Counting Book by Alexandra Siy
This is for every little boy and girl that crawls around on the ground with their trucks and tractors. Full of imagination and playful illustrations, this is an adventure. What starts with one tractor soon involves a band of pirates, ships, planes and more. A counting delight and a fun story of childhood mixed together perfectly.
Find it Online
9. Ten Little Ladybugs by Melanie Gerth
This book was one of my daughters absolute favorites. She loved the textures on the tiny little ladybugs. She would curl up on my lap and rub her fingers across the ladybugs while we counted together. There are several versions of this book. One with monkeys. Another with stars. This particular one can only be bought used now, but I still have it on the list to remind you that some kids need that sensory element to their books.
Find it Online
10. Anno’s Counting Book by Mitsumasa Anno
I read this book as a child (so it’s obviously not new) but it is still fabulous. It’s quirky detailed illustrations are timeless. There is a house on one page full of people and the one on the opposite page is empty. One by one the people move to the opposite house. This is a beautiful wordless book that invites you to peer closer and count everything you see.
Find it Online
11. Whole Whale by Karen Yin and art by Nelleke Verhoeff
WHOLE WHALE has so many fun layers. It’s an animal book – certainly so much to spot and name. It’s a counting book – it even breaks down the 100 animals included on the last page. It’s a book about making space for others – an important concept and approached in a playful way. And it’s a rhyming book that is a ton of fun to read aloud paired with a huge format that makes it even better for storytime. I can see this being used in a preschool or kindergarten class for counting, but also with a toddler on your lap pointing to all the animals.
Find Online
12. 1, 2, 3 to the zoo: a counting book by Eric Carle
If you kid loves zoo animals, this board book is the perfect counting book for them. Even if they don’t, Eric Carle has a found a creative and whimsical way to bring counting to the youngest audience.
Find it Online
also read: Pete the Cat Counting Activity for Preschool
13. 10 Dogs
by Emily Gravett
Math has never been this playful or puppy filled. This book is both simple and genius. It is a super simple concept. On each page are ten dogs and ten sausages. A few lines of text and humorous illustrations pair them differently each time offering opportunities for counting, adding, and learning ways to create 10. It is a must have for an early elementary classroom but also works as a cute read aloud for toddlers and preschoolers. Genius.
14. How to Count to 1 (And don’t even THINK about bigger numbers!)
by Caspar Salmon
illustrated by Matt Hunt
This is a witty counting book. It is on the surface about the number one, but the illustrations hold loads of opportunities for counting. A fun book to read aloud, but also a fun one to explore closer with a kiddo on your lap.
Did I miss your favorite? Make sure to let me know in the comments below!
