Let's Look for Opposites 

by Bill Gillham and Susan Hulme

Summary: Illustrates such opposite concepts as full/empty, open/shut, top/bottom, and dark/light, using photographs and sentences.

This book is ideal to read to children from birth. The illustrations are photographs which infants often enjoy. However, the photographs are somewhat dated. The short and simple text makes it a wonderful one on one read to young children with short attention spans. The book may also be used to teach opposites.

Interest Level: birth-age 4

Reading Level: grade 1

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I've Got an Elephant 

by Anne Ginkel

Summary: Content with one elephant then pleased to have two, a girl begins having problems as her lonely pachyderms bring home more and more friends throughout this rhyming counting book.

This story in rhyme is bound to be seen as humorous by young children. Preschool age children will enjoy learning to count with this book. 

Interest level: ages 2-grade 3

Reading Level: grade 2 

Roll Over!

by Mordicai Gerstein

Summary: A sleepy tot and his ten frolicsome animal friends romp through the numbers one to ten in this counting book, based on the traditional children's song.

This adorable book is in a small format and ideal for reading one-on-one with a child. I greatly enjoyed the twist and the end of the story

Interest Level: ages 2-4
Reading Level: grade 2

Happy Leap Year!

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How Many Kisses Do You Want Tonight?

by Varsha Bajaj


Summary: When animal and human parents lovingly ask their offspring how many kisses each wants at bedtime, the answers start at the number one and end at a million.

This is an adorable bedtime story. It can be used to teach counting, and to show a child how much they are loved.

Interest Level: ages 2-4
Reading Level: grade 2



Ten Hungry Rabbits: Counting and Color Concepts

by Anita Lobel

Summary: Ten little rabbits are hungry for supper but Mama Rabbit has nothing to put in her soup pot, so Papa sends them to the garden where they discover increasing numbers of foods in many different colors.

This is a cute concept book. It is great for learning colors. However, it is not especially effective in learning numbers, because it is not always clear which items are meant to be counted.

Interest Level: ages 2-4
Reading Level: grade 3

One Blue Fish: A Colorful Counting Book

by Charles Reasoner

Summary: Lift shaped flaps to reveal one blue fish, two white swans, and so forth, introducing readers to counting and colors using pond critters.

This is a neat picture book for preschool age children. The text is simple, but the flaps make it fun to learn how to count.

Interest Level: ages 2-4
Reading Level: grade 1

Bear's Birthday 

by Stella Blackstone

Summary: Bear celebrates his birthday with a party, games, and ten balloons that disappear one at a time throughout the day.

This is a cute book for first exposing children to counting down. The thick board pages make it an ideal book for young children.

Interest Level: ages 2-4

Reading Level: grade 2

  

Art 123: Count from 1 to 12 with Great Works of Art

 by Stefano Zuffi

Summary: Simple, rhyming text invites the reader to count from one to twelve and more, while illustrations introduce works of art by such masters as Gainsborough, Van Gogh, and Matisse.

The intended audience of this book seems to be younger children who are learning numbers. However, what to count within the pictures is confusing. I recommend this book for introducing primary grade children to famous artists.

Interest Level: ages 2-grade 3
Reading Level: grade 2

Everything I Need to Know Before I'm Five

 by Valorie Fisher

Summary: A picture book designed to help children learn the basic concepts they need to know before starting kindergarten, including numbers, letters, colors, shapes, opposites, and seasons.

It is debatable if this book contains everything a child needs to know before age 5, but I think it is an excellent tool to practice concepts with young children. The amount of information in this book may be a little hard for some children to take in. The unique illustrations contain photographs of retro toys. In addition to learning concepts, children’s interest may be piqued by picking out the many details in the photographs.

Interest Level: ages 2-4

Ready, Set, 100th Day! 

by Nancy Elizabeth Wallace

Summary: Minna's family pitches in to help her come up with the perfect project for the hundredth day of school, from twenty sets of five sticks to two sets of fifty pieces of pasta.

This book is a neat concept book for primary grade children. Students may practice counting by intervals with this text. I still remember my 100^th day of school celebrations in first and second grade. Teachers, use this book on your 100^th day of school to teach skills in a fun way!

Interest Level: grades k-3

Reading Level: grade 2

Concept Books: Colors

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Follow the Line to School

by Laura Ljungkvist

Summary: Children learn about a typical day at school as they follow simple line drawings through the school yard, up the steps, and into the building.

This book is most appropriate for preparing a child for kindergarten or on the first day of kindergarten. The text asks questions about the detailed illustrations. For example, it asks how many items are on the page or what color is on a paintbrush. For this reason, the book is great for reading one-on-one with a child who is well on his /her way to mastering such concepts as colors and counting.

Interest Level: grades k-3
Reading Level: grade 2

A Bad Kitty Christmas

by Nick Bruel

Summary: After destroying all of the gifts and decorations at home, Bad Kitty escapes from the car on Christmas Eve and finds a new friend, who helps her learn the true meaning of Christmas.

I love this book! The book contains three alphabetical lists, including naughty things kitty did. The rhyming lists are woven beautifully into this heartwarming story. The text is lengthy, and may be most enjoyed when read one-on-one with a child. Like other books in the Bad Kitty series, this holiday story involves humor.

Interest Level: ages 2-grade 3
Reading Level: grade 4

I Like Vegetables

by Lorena Siminovich

Summary: An introduction to several different vegetables and also to the concept of opposites.

This is a super board book to share with very young children. There are one or two words on each page; a child does not need to have a large attention span in order to enjoy this book. The textured illustrations make this book ideal for any child who likes to hold books or touch the pages. For preschool age children, this book is great to introduce the concept of opposites.

Interest Level: age 0-4

Reading Level: grade 1

Go! Go! Bo Bo Colors

by Simon Basher

Summary: Little Bobo bounces from his bed through a series of bright items demonstrating basic colors.

This is a pretty good book considering its simplicity. The text is limited to the name of a color on each page.



10 Turkeys in the Road

 by Brenda Reeves Sturgis

Summary: Ten turkeys performing circus acts block a country road, much to the frustration of an angry farmer in a pick-up truck who tries to shoo them away.

This is a humorous tale that is excellent for practicing counting with a young child. A primary grade teacher might read this aloud before Thanksgiving.

Interest Level: ages 2-grade 3
Reading Level: grade 2

The Hidden Alphabet

by Laura Vaccaro Seeger

Summary: An alphabet book in which windows open to reveal the letters hidden within each picture

This is a unique alphabet book. Lifting the flaps makes the book exciting for active listeners.

Interest Level: ages 2-4
Reading Level: grade 1

Apple Pie ABC

by Alison Murray

Summary: A story about a girl baking an apple pie and a puppy observing the activities teaches the letters of the alphabet.

This a cute book that approaches teaching letters of the alphabet in way I have not seen before. The text includes large letters, a to z, in order. Underneath the large letter is a word or phrase that begins with that letter (except x, that is the second letter in the word). The words and phrases tell a story starring a dog who looks a lot like Charles M. Schulz’s Snoopy, whom I love; but I wish the illustrator was more creative in depicting this character.

Interest Level: ages 2-4
Reading Level: grade 1

One Rainy Day 

by Tammi Salzano

Summary: Scenes from a rainy day teach colors.

The illustrations of the shiny rain drops are superb! This short simple story is nice to read with children who have read many simple board books.

Interest Level: infant-age 4

Reading level: grade 3