This booklist features books that make math fun for kindergarten and first-grade kids and beyond.
The Children’s Book Review
Math can be intimidating for many youngsters. What better way to introduce various concepts than with a storybook? In recent years, more and more authors have been creating children’s books that incorporate Math to help ease the frustrations of youngsters as they tackle a subject that isn’t always easy. Below are some stellar examples of some of these books!
Dozens of Doughnuts
Written by Carrie Finison
Illustrated by Brianne Farley
Ages: 3-6 | 32 Pages
Publisher: G.P Putnam’s Sons, 2020 | ISBN: 9780525518358
What to Expect: Animals, Friendship, and Math
If the endpages filled with doughnuts, don’t entice you to begin this story, I don’t know what will! This charming book tells the story of a bear who is preparing for her winter’s sleep by making a dozen doughnuts all for herself or so you think! Every time she tries to sit down, the doorbell rings with an animal friend who asks if she could share. LouAnn, loves the company and continues to make dozens more doughnuts. However, when she was ready to start her hibernation, she realized she had nothing left for herself. Her animal friends return and show their gratitude as they bake dozens of doughnuts for her.
This colorful story is a great introduction to various Math vocabulary terms and counting concepts for youngsters!
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Counting in Dog Years and Other Sassy Math Poems
Written by Betsy Franco
Illustrated by Priscilla Tey
Ages: 7-10 | 40 Pages
Publisher: Candlewick Press, 2022 | ISBN: 9781536201161
What to Expect: Poetry and Math
This whimsical poetry book incorporates all sorts of Math concepts – from counting the months of year to calculating your age in weeks and days to discovering the “geometric math-terpiece” of a bee’s honeycomb, Betsy Franco includes it all. The illustrations and text placement are purposeful alongside these fun rhymes and poems. This book would make for a great addition in a classroom or school library. It can even be used as a way to encourage children to start writing their own poetry whether it’s about Math or something else they enjoy learning.
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Billy the Borrowing Blue-Footed Booby
Written by Sheila Bair
Illustrated by Amy Zhing
Ages: 4-8 | 32 Pages
Publisher: Albert Whitman & Company, 2021 |
What to Expect: Animals, Money, and Math
Blair, financier turned author, brings her real-life love for Math to this easy-to-read children’s book. Billy the Blue-Footed Booby wants to purchase an umbrella among other things from his animal friends. He quickly learns that having instant gratification costs you more in the end and creates a lot harder work. The more he wanted something, the more debt he accrued. Thankfully, after meeting a kind pelican he learned that borrowing for insignificant things is not the best solution. This is a story that can reach readers of all ages. The fun illustrations and animal characters help bring home the meaning of the story. The resource pages in the back are a great bonus as well!
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The Math Made Fun book list was curated by Anna Iacovetta. Discover more books like these titles by following along with our reviews and articles tagged with Animals, Friendship, Poetry, Money, and Math.
