Math students often have a hard time understanding abstract math concepts. Enhancing your lessons with books about math for kids will help make connections while having fun in the process. Motivate your students while introducing new concepts, reinforcing ideas, and talking about all things math with some of our favorite books. We have you covered through the year with lots of elementary math topics using these children’s math books.
Sorting & Patterns
1. The Animals Would Not Sleep! by Sara Levine
Marco needs to get his stuffed animals organized before bedtime. He tries sorting them in lots of different ways, but they just won’t settle down. Kids will be clamoring to give him ideas!
Buy it: The Animals Would Not Sleep! at Amazon
2. Seeing Symmetry by Loreen Leedy
A beautifully illustrated book about math that shows how flips, slides, and turns can create amazing symmetrical images.
Buy it: Seeing Symmetry at Amazon
3. Pitter Pattern by Joyce Hesselberth
Definitely add this to your list of children’s math books to introduce patterns. This fiction and nonfiction hybrid covers many types of patterns, including simple visual patterns, sound patterns, patterns in nature, and more.
Buy it: Pitter Pattern at Amazon
4. Math at the Art Museum by Group Majoongmul
A little boy thinks his dad is telling a tall tale when he says elements of math are found in the art world. His mind is blown when he visits his local art museum with his family. Children’s math books help prove math is everywhere!
Buy it: Math at the Art Museum at Amazon
Addition & Subtraction
5. Ten on a Twig by Lo Cole
Ten adorably colorful birds sit happily on a branch—until they begin to fall off one by one! Subtraction is a hard concept to introduce to young kids, but this story makes it nice and concrete.
Buy it: Ten on a Twig at Amazon
6. Six-Dinner Sid by Inga Moore
If you are a cat person, you know felines are smart little creatures. Sid tricks six separate neighbors into thinking he belongs to each household, receiving six dinners every night. Will they figure out his little secret?
Buy it: Six-Dinner Sid at Amazon
7. Monster Math by Anne Miranda
This cute children’s math book starts with a little monster patiently waiting for guests to arrive at the birthday party. As more and more arrive, kids can use addition skills to keep track. Once there are 50 guests, Monster Mom has had enough, and they begin to leave. This, of course, lends to using subtraction skills.
Buy it: Monster Math at Amazon
8. If You Were a Minus Sign by Trisha Speed Shaskan
This cute, colorful book meets the objective of teaching young students to comprehend their signs in math. This book is a great introduction to subtraction, which is necessary to continue building on throughout students’ math careers.
Buy it: If You Were a Minus Sign at Amazon
9., 10., & 11.: Math Is CATegorical Series by Brian P. Cleary
Rhyming text filled with funny, countable examples introduces basic math concepts for young readers and reveals that sometimes math is easier to show than explain. Pairing clever rhyming verse with comical cartoon cats, Brian P. Cleary and illustrator Brian Gable help children add up just how fun math can be.
Buy it: The Action of Subtraction, The Mission of Addition, How Long or How Wide? A Measuring Guide at Amazon
Money
12. Money Math: Addition and Subtraction by David A. Adler
In this fun introduction to American currency, multiple past presidents introduce themselves and their denominations. Readers will learn about who is on each coin and bill, and what they’re worth—and how many of one it takes to add up to another.
Buy it: Money Math: Addition and Subtraction at Amazon
13. Alexander, Who Used To Be Rich Last Sunday by Judith Viorst
Alexander is given a dollar by his grandparents. As he stretches his imagination on how to spend it, count along with him. Kids will laugh while seeing the obstacles he faces along the way!
Buy it: Alexander, Who Used To Be Rich Last Sunday at Amazon
14. Lemonade in Winter: A Book About Two Kids Counting Money by Emily Jenkins
Follow a brother and sister team as they set out to make some money on a cold winter’s day. While lemonade may not be the best idea for the weather, they learn a good lesson about buying and selling goods. Count along with them as they try to make a profit.
Buy it: Lemonade in Winter: A Book About Two Kids Counting Money at Amazon
15. A Dollar, a Penny, How Much and How Many? by Brian P. Cleary
Learn all about different coins and bills in our currency system. Then count along with the help of fun rhymes and silly mathematician cat characters!
Buy it: A Dollar, a Penny, How Much and How Many? at Amazon
Geometry
19. The Greedy Triangle by Marilyn Burns
Triangle is a busy shape! However, he is bored with the same routines. He asks the shapeshifter for another side and goes on adventures. This pattern continues until he no longer can keep track of himself. This is a great geometry book, and it also teaches a valuable life lesson.
Buy it: The Greedy Triangle at Amazon
20. Grandfather Tang’s Story by Ann Tompert
This Chinese folktale uses tangram shapes to bring the animal characters to life. Grab a class set of tangram puzzles and have your students create the different animals in the story as you read it.
Buy it: Grandfather Tang’s Story at Amazon
21. Circle Loves Pi: A Pi Day Story by Vea Lewis
Circle is a tough shape to measure. However, when his buddy Pi is around, circumference, volume, and area are a breeze to compute!
Buy it: Circle Loves Pi: A Pi Day Story at Amazon
22. Which One Doesn’t Belong? by Christopher Danielson
Keep the mathematical talk going by talking about attributes of shapes and how they are the same and different. Observations about the shapes on each page can go in many different directions.
Buy it: Which One Doesn’t Belong? at Amazon
23. Sir Cumference and the First Round Table by Cindy Neuschwander
Brave knights, a strong ruler, and a dilemma that needs to be solved using math. Great for introducing geometry concepts in a fun and accessible way.
Buy it: Sir Cumference and the First Round Table at Amazon
Counting
24. Two of Everything by Lily Toy Hong
Mr. Haktuk is working in his garden when he digs up an ancient pot. He and his wife soon learn it is a magical pot. They fill their hut with gold, excited that their luck has changed. When they both fall into the pot, the real trouble begins!
Buy it: Two of Everything at Amazon
25. How Many? (Talking Math) by Christopher Danielson
This really is “a different kind of counting book”! Each page has a thought-provoking photo in which readers decide what and how to count. If you’re looking for children’s math books to get interesting number talks flowing, this is it!
Buy it: How Many? (Talking Math) at Amazon
26. Billions of Bricks: A Counting Book About Building by Kurt Cyrus
Watch as this busy construction crew creates impressive structures by grouping bricks by twos, fives, and tens. Kids will love the catchy repetitive verse and charming illustrations.
Buy it: Billions of Bricks: A Counting Book About Building at Amazon
27. Counting on Fall by Lizann Flatt
As young readers journey into the natural world, they will discover numbers, patterns, shapes, and more. The colorful, collage style of the book will engage both children and adults.
Buy it: Counting on Fall at Amazon
28. Mrs. Wiggles and the Numbers by Lisa Konkol
Mrs. Wiggles is the best way to introduce children to the world of math. Bold and vibrant numbers combined with catchy rhymes make it easy to keep children entertained.
Buy it: Mrs. Wiggles and the Numbers at Amazon
29. Pebbles and the Biggest Number by Joey Benun
A daring butterfly travels the world searching for the biggest number in a picture book filled with fun and facts. This is an entertaining way to teach kids about numbers larger than they could even imagine.
Buy it: Pebbles and the Biggest Number at Amazon
Measurement
30. Inch by Inch by Leo Lionni
Follow the adventures of an adorable inchworm as he measures different body parts of his animal friends. When a bird threatens to eat the inchworm if he can’t measure an intangible item, he gets creative. Kids love the colorful and whimsical artwork common to Lionni’s books.
Buy it: Inch by Inch at Amazon
31. How Tall? Wacky Ways To Compare Height by Mark Weakland
This wacky, laugh-out-loud introduction to height shows kids an easier way to understand measuring. The rhyming text makes it perfect for a read-aloud or to entertain young ones.
Buy it: How Tall? Wacky Ways To Compare Height at Amazon
Place Value
32. Place Value by David A. Adler
Love the story about monkeys jumping on the bed? You’ll adore this version that tells the story of the monkeys at Banana Cafe making one very large banana cupcake.
Buy it: Place Value at Amazon
33. Sir Cumference and All the King’s Tens: A Math Adventure by Cindy Neushwander
Sir Cumference and his friends are back! This time, they are busy working with place value and counting by tens. When tens, hundreds, and eventually thousands of unanticipated guests show up for King Arthur’s birthday, they need to figure out how to feed everyone ASAP!
Buy it: Sir Cumference and All the King’s Tens: A Math Adventure at Amazon
Area and Perimeter
34. Spaghetti and Meatballs for All! by Marilyn Burns
Mr. and Mrs. Comfort are having a family reunion and need to arrange the tables so that everyone in the family can enjoy their fabulous spaghetti and meatballs. A witty tale by math guru Marilyn Burns.
Buy it: Spaghetti and Meatballs for All! at Amazon
35. Perimeter, Area, and Volume: A Monster Book of Dimensions by David A. Adler
Let’s go to the movies! Find the perimeter, area, and volume of movie theater staples with assistance from a cast of cute movie monster friends.
Buy it: Perimeter, Area, and Volume at Amazon
Number Sense
36. Infinity and Me by Kate Hosford
Delightful illustrations and a dreamy young girl pondering the vastness of the universe make a very difficult concept approachable and interesting.
Buy it: Infinity and Me at Amazon
37. A Very Improbable Story by Edward Einhorn
Ethan wakes up one morning with a strange cat on his head, and the only way it will agree to get off is if Ethan agrees to play a game of probability with it. This kooky book will entertain your students as it teaches a difficult concept.
Buy it: A Very Improbable Story at Amazon
38. Zero the Hero by Joan Holub
Kids will love this fun story with delightful cartoon illustrations by Tom Lichtenheld that teach the importance of zero as a placeholder in our number system. Without Zero the Hero, we wouldn’t be able to count beyond the number nine!
Buy it: Zero the Hero at Amazon
39. Equal Shmequal by Virginia Kroll
Mouse and her friends want to play a game of tug-of-war but have a hard time making the sides fair. This charming story teaches the concept of balance and equality.
Buy it: Equal Shmequal at Amazon
40. & 41. One Odd Day and My Even Day by Doris Fisher and Dani Sneed
Two more rhyming tales with colorful, busy illustrations that kids will love. In each of these children’s math books, a boy wakes up one day and finds that things are kookily out of order. Great as read-alouds or for independent readers who will love hunting through the detailed pictures to find the odd or even items.
Buy it: One Odd Day and My Even Day at Amazon
42. How Much Is a Million? by David M. Schwartz
Children’s math books are especially helpful when demonstrating very large numbers since it shows a visual picture. Kids love hearing about the numbers in the millions, billions, and trillions, so this book will add to the excitement. With a mystical main character named Marvelossissimo the Magician and illustrations by Steven Kellogg, this book is beyond memorable.
Buy it: How Much Is a Million? at Amazon
Telling Time
43. A Second, a Minute, a Week With Days in It: A Book About Time by Brian P. Cleary
A playful book with silly characters and perfect rhyming that teaches not just the basics of telling time but the tricky concept of relative time.
Buy it: A Second, a Minute, a Week With Days in It at Amazon
44. If You Were a Minute by Tricia Speed Shaskan
How long is a minute, really, when trying to make sense of time? Kids can look at a clock and read the time, but this book helps them understand what can be done in different amounts of time to build deeper meaning. It is never too early to introduce time management skills.
Buy it: If You Were a Minute at Amazon
Division and Fractions
45. A Remainder of One by Elinor Pinczes
The 25th Beetle Army Corp is trying to solve the problem of how to divide their troops into equal groups for the parade march without leaving any stragglers. A fun rhyming book about math that will get kids thinking about how numbers are put together and pulled apart.
Buy it: A Remainder of One at Amazon
46. The Great Divide: A Mathematical Marathon by Dayle Ann Dodds
At the beginning of the story, 80 contestants are ready to compete in the Great Divide. Dangers lie ahead at every turn, causing more and more runners to leave the competition. Who will be left at the end and survive the obstacles?
Buy it: The Great Divide: A Mathematical Marathon at Amazon
47. The Hershey’s Milk Chocolate Fractions Book by Jerry Pallotta
Incorporating children’s math books with tasty treats is a surefire way to get kids’ attention. Hershey’s chocolate bars are made up of 12 rectangles. Pass out a chocolate bar to each student. Then, use them with this book for a delicious, hands-on fractions lesson.
Buy it: The Hershey’s Milk Chocolate Fraction Book at Amazon
48. If You Were a Divided-By Sign by Trisha Speed Shaskan
Celebrate a love of language and math with this book that includes a whimsical cast of characters to engage curious minds. Each set of problems introduces basic concepts using simple text and enhances the learning with silly and unexpected examples.
Buy it: If You Were a Divided-By Sign at Amazon
49. Fractions in Disguise by Edward Einhorn
If you are looking for a fun way to teach your students about reducing fractions, look no further. When a valuable fraction goes missing, George Cornelius Factor (aka GCF) immediately is on the case. He knows if he continues to reduce fractions, he will eventually solve the mystery.
Buy it: Fractions in Disguise at Amazon
50. Math for Minecrafters: Adventures in Multiplication & Division by Amanda Brack
This kid-friendly workbook features well-loved video game characters and concepts to reinforce the development of 3rd and 4th grade math skills. Puzzles use familiar items from Minecraft like diamond swords, suits of armor, zombies, and magical potions to encourage math practice in gamers.
Buy it: Math for Minecrafters: Adventures in Multiplication & Division at Amazon
Problem-Solving
51. The Grapes of Math by Greg Tang
Good children’s math books hone in on problem-solving, identifying patterns, symmetry, and grouping. This one uses all four concepts to help students count in groups, instead of going one by one. Your students will think out of the box as they come up with ways to solve each math riddle. Watch the enthusiasm grow bigger with each turn of the page!
Buy it: The Grapes of Math at Amazon
52. One Grain of Rice: A Mathematical Folktale by Demi
In this Indian folktale, a greedy raja keeps all of the rice for himself. As the rest of the village starves, a clever girl named Rani devises a plan. She makes a deal to receive one grain of rice, doubled, for 30 days. As time passes, over 1 billion grains of rice become available for all of the villagers to share. Problem-solving, along with multiplication, are a big part of this book. At the same time, the valuable lessons of fairness and sharing shine through.
Buy it: One Grain of Rice at Amazon
53. Seven Golden Rings by Rajani LaRocca
This story of a clever young boy in ancient India can be enjoyed on many levels. Bhagat must figure out how to stretch his family’s only fortune, seven golden rings, as far as possible—which leads to some creative mathematical thinking! To engage older students, use the afterword to introduce how to write numbers in binary.
Buy it: Seven Golden Rings at Amazon
54. Math-terpieces: The Art of Problem-Solving by Greg Tang
Help students master important skills while also gaining exposure to some of the world’s most famous paintings. This book focuses on grouping numbers and creating different combinations using visuals.
Buy it: Math-terpieces: The Art of Problem-Solving at Amazon
55. Math Curse by Jon Scieszka
The main character of this children’s math book wakes up one morning only to find she has been placed under a math curse! Follow her through her day as she faces a different math problem everywhere she goes, while just carrying on with ordinary, daily activities.
Buy it: Math Curse at Amazon
56. The Chicken Problem by Jennifer Oxley
Peg and Cat are enjoying a picnic lunch on the farm, until it is interrupted by chaos; the chickens have escaped the coop! Help them solve mathematical problems in order to restore the peace.
Buy it: The Chicken Problem at Amazon
57. Problem-Solving Ninja by Mary Nhin
The Ninja Life Hacks series introduces pint-size characters in comedic books easy enough for young readers, yet witty enough for adults. This colorful book is perfect to teach about a growth mindset.
Buy it: Problem-Solving Ninja at Amazon
58. The Best of Times: Math Strategies That Multiply by Greg Tang
In this book, author Greg Tang takes on the times tables, teaching kids innovative ways to multiply numbers and derive answers without the need for memorization. This is one of the best children’s math books because it uses a simple, sing-song formula to allow kids to understand clever math strategies.
Buy it: The Best of Times: Math Strategies That Multiply at Amazon
Did you love these books about math for kids? Check out Second Grade Math Word Problems of the Day.
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