Learning to count is, of course, fundamental to math. It's important that children realize spoken numbers stand for quantities and the following books can help. Some of the books below are wonderful titles for babies and toddlers, while others are more appropriate for preschoolers or very early elementary. You can click on any title or picture to see current pricing and also to read reviews.

If you have a title your family loves and it's not listed below, please email me and let me know so I can add it!

Click here to get a list of all of the titles below so you can print it out and take it to the library.

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1 Is One Tasha Tudor (counting to 20)

10 Little Rubber Ducks Eric Carle (counting, ordinal numbers, compass directions)

This book has an added "bonus" - a real "squeaker" your child can press to hear the duck.

 12 Ways to Get to 11 by Eve Merriam (counting)

1,2,3 to the Zoo by Eric Carle

100 Days of Cool by Stuart J. Murphy (counting to 100)

 A Frog in the Bog by Karma Wilson and Joan Rankin (early counting)

A Place for Zero by Angeline Sparagna Lopresti and Phyllis Hornung (learn about zero)

Anno's Counting Book by Mitsumasa Anno (counting)

Anno's Math Games by Mitsumasa Anno (numerical order, size differences and more)

Anno's Math Games II by Mitsumasa Anno (counting, measuring, and the rudiments of particle physics)

Big Fat Hen Keith Baker (counting)

I love the vibrant illustrations in this "one, two, buckle my shoe" rhyme book.

Chicka Chicka 1, 2, 3 by Bill Martin (counting)

Coco Counts: A Little Chick's First Book of Numbers by Sloane Tanen (counting to 10)

Cookie Count (A Pop-Up Book) by Robert Sabuda (counting)

Counting on Frank by Rod Clement (counting and comparing)

Count Your Cookies by Colin Fletcher (fairness, parts vs. whole)

Count Your Way Through Korea James Haskins (counting, geography and social studies)

Counting with Magnetic Numbers

Cucumber Soup by Vickie Leigh Krudwig (counting)

This book has a recipe for cucumber soup at the end!

Each Orange Had 8 Slices by Paul Giganti (counting)

Every Buddy Counts by Stuart J. Murphy and Fiona Dunbar (counting to 10)

Fish Eyes: A Book You Can Count On by Lois Ehlert (Numbers, shapes, colors)

Five Little Ducks by Raffi (counting backwards)

My daughter used to love Raffi songs and this was one of her favorites.

Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed by Eileen Christelow

My kids always loved this book. It's one of the first tools I used, when they were toddlers, for practicing "backwards" counting.

Five Little Monkeys Play Hide-and-Seek Eileen Christelow (counting past 100)

Five Little Monkeys Sitting in a Tree by Eileen Christelow

My kids loved the "Five Little Monkeys" songs. This is another great tool to practice counting backwards.

Fish Eyes: A Book You Can Count On by Lois Ehlert (numbers, shapes, colors)

How Many Bugs in a Box? David A. Carter (counting)

This pop-up book is a lot of fun. My daughter LOVED David Carter's books and wore them out.

How Many Feet in the Bed? by Diane Johnston Hamm (counting)

How Much is a Million? (understanding just how much a million is)

Icky Bug Numbers (early counting) by Jerry Pallotta

Just Enough Carrots by Stuart J. Murphy and Frank Remkiewicz (more, fewer, same)

Kellogg's Froot Loops! Counting Fun Book by Barbara Barbieri (counting)

Max Counts His Chickens by Rosemary Wells (counting)

Missing Mittens by Stuart J. Murphy (odd and even numbers)

M&M's Count Around the Circle (Board Book) by Barbara Barbieri (counting)

More or Less by Stuart J. Murphy (Making educated guesses and understanding more or less)

Mouse Count by Ellen Stoll Walsh (counting forward and backward)

Mrs. McTats and Her Houseful of Cats by Alyssa Satin Capucilli (counting and the alphabet combined)

Museum 123 by The (NY) Metropolitan Museum of Art (counting and works of art)

Olivia Counts (Board Book) by Ian Falconer (counting to 10)

One Duck Stuck: A Mucky Ducky Counting Book (Board book) by Phyllis Root
(counting)

One, Two, Three! (Boynton on Board) by Sandra Boynton

I love Sandra Boyton's books. They were absolute favorites of my children when they were toddlers and preschoolers. Sandra weaves fun, colorful illustrations with rhyme and humor that leave little ones asking for more. My oldest is sixteen years old as of this writing and I still can quote one of the Sandra Boynton books by heart!

One...Two...Three...Sassafras! (MathStart 1) by Stuart J. Murphy (numerical order)

Over in the Meadow by Ezra Jack Keats (simple counting)

Over in the Meadow by Olive A. Wadsworth (counting)

This book is has much nicer illustrations than the version above and also features additional items on a page to count (3 owls, 3 acorns and so on).

Pepperidge Farm Goldfish Counting Fun Book by Barbara Barbieri (counting)

Richard Scarry's Little Counting Book Richard Scarry (counting)

Rooster's Off to See the World (Aladdin Picture Books) by Eric Carle (counting forwards and backwards)

Round Up: A Texas Number Book Carol Crane (numbers, Texas history and facts)

Sixteen Cows by Lisa Wheeler
This is NOT a counting book, but you can use it for that. It's a great, fun read.

So Many Bunnies Board Book by Rick Walton (counting and ABC's)

Tally O' Malley by Stuart J. Murphy (tallying)

Ten Black Dots Donald Crews

Ten Little Eggs Jean Marzollo

Ten Little Fish by Audrey Wood (counting backwards)

Ten Little Ladybugs by Melanie Gerth (counting forwards and backwards)

We LOVE this book. I love the colorful, happy illustrations and my son loved the 3-D plastic ladybugs to count on each page as well as the rhyming "story". This book helped him learn how to count forwards and backwards through ten and held up very well (the pages are sturdy) even after reading (and touching) it over and over. This is one of our favorites that we've set aside and saved for future grandchildren.

Ten, Nine, Eight Molly Bang (counting backwards)

Ten Seeds Ruth Brown (counting backwards)

Ten Sly Piranhas A Counting Story in Reverse by William Wise(counting in reverse)

Ten Terrible Dinosaurs Paul Stickland (counting backwards)

The Baseball Counting Book by Barbara Barbieri (counting)

The Cheerios Counting Book by Barbara Barbieri (counting)

The Icky Bug Counting Book by Jerry Pallotta (early counting and also the alphabet, if you read it backwards!) There is also a board book available for this title.

Click here for "Children's Literature Across the Curriculum Ideas" for the Icky Bug Counting Book.

The King's Commissioners by Marilyn Burns (counting, addition, place value)

The M&M's Brand Chocolate Candies Counting Board Book by Barbara Barbieri (counting)

The M&M's Count to One Hundred Book by Barbara Barbieri (counting to 100)

The M&M's Brand Counting Book by Barbara Barbieri (counting)

Touch and Feel (Board Book) DK Publishing (basic counting)

This book for babies and toddler introduces numbers and also has the added fun of different textures.

Up All Night Counting Robin Koontz (counting)

This pop-up book even has an audible "chee-chee" sound for the crickets and more which adds to the fun.