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

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

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

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

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

Count Them While You Can: A Book of Endangered Animals

by Ann Bowman

Summary: Describes the habits of endangered animals.

This book contains a story in rhyme that flows like a poem. Children are invited to count the animals on each page. On opposite pages of the story, there are facts about endangered animals. For this reason, the book can be enjoyed by a large age range. An adult could read the story part with young children and encourage them to count. An early school age teacher could read the story aloud to a class and then provide the book during open read time for students who are interested in the facts. Older school age children may use facts in this book to supplement a report on endangered species.

Interest Level: ages 2-grade 6

Reading Level: grade 3

Numbers on the Move

 by Teresa Benzwie

Summary: Young children learn by moving and dancing in this playful book.

This is an incredible book for kinesthetic learners! It is believed that certain children learn best by moving or kinesthetically. The book teaches counting and other number concepts with physical activities. I recommend this book to use in any classroom that has children who like to move.

Interest Level: ages 2-grade 3
Reading Level: grade 1

The Water Hole

 by Graeme Base

As ever growing numbers of animals visit a watering hole, introducing the numbers from one to ten, the water dwindles.

This counting book has stunning illustrations. It is appropriate for discussing the environment and using resources sparingly.

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

Counting Birds

Counting Birds

by Alice Melvin

Summary: Swans, swallows, peacocks, geese, and starlings appear in this charming story that leads children through a spring day from dawn to dusk.

This book is beautifully illustrated and is super for lovers of bird identifying who are learning numbers. A game of “look and find” can be played as well as counting the birds.

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

One Boy

One Boy

 by Laura Vaccaro Seeger

Summary: A boy creates ten paintings in this counting book that also explores the relationship of words within words.

This neat book was awarded the prestigious American Library AssoALA Theodor Seuss Geisel Award and is great for reluctant readers. Each page has a cutout in which you can see the picture on the next page. On the next page, there is a cutout that reveals text on the previous page to create a different word or part of a different word.

Interest Level: ages 2-4, grades k-3
Reading Level: grade 1

Librarianjk recommends Construction Countdown

Construction Countdown

by K.C. Olson

Summary: Introduces numbers and subtraction as the reader counts construction equipment from ten to one.

This book is super for young children who love trucks and are learning numbers.

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

Librarianjk recommends From One to One Hundred

From One to One Hundred by Teri Sloat

Summary: Each number from 1-10 is shown on separate pages. After this, each page counts by 10s.

This book is really detailed. At the bottom of each page is a chart of objects. You can find that many objects on the page. It may take a lot of patience to read this book with a child because they may want to count everything!