Concept Books: Counting to Ten and Back Again

1 2 3: A Child’s First Counting Book by Alison Jay 

Children will be delighted with this enchanted counting book!  A little girl falls asleep with her fairy tale story book.  She dreams of frog princes, the ugly duckling, gingerbread men, magic beans, and many others captivating images. After counting to ten and back again with these fairy tale inspirations, the little girl wakes up.  Children will enjoy identifying the fairy tale reference in each picture.  Teaching Opportunities:  Counting, Numerals, Number Words, Alliteration, Fairy Tales

One Naked Baby  by Maggie Smith  

One naked baby comes running out of the bathroom, ready to start his day!  As he gets dressed to go outside, many things are observed in his surroundings, such as two fat cats, three laundry baskets, and four silly hats.  After his snack, he heads outside to observe nine stepping stones, eight robins, seven worms, and much more!  After getting muddy in the backyard, he ends up back inside, ready for another bath!  Teaching Opportunities:  Counting, Number Words, Numerals, Daily Routine, Weather, Nature, Backyard, Rhyme, Alliteration, Bathtime

One Frog Sang by Shirley Parenteau  

This wonderfully illustrated book is sure to please.  Counting 1-10, various types of frog are depicted in typical spring time behavior and singing their diverse calls.   Then, they hear a car splashing down the wet road.  Counting backwards, the frogs are shown hiding each in a different way.  Until, one frog leaps on the high garden wall and begins to sing again.  Teaching Opportunities:  Counting, Number Words, Frogs, Amphibians, Spring, Alliteration, Onomatopoeia, Habitats

Raindrop Plop!  by Wendy Cheyette Lewison   

Entertaining rhyming couplets and lively illustrations capture the fun that an unexpected rainstorm can be on a summer day.  A little girl counts and sings as the raindrops begin to fall.   When she gets inside, the counting moves from ten to one as she takes a bath, dresses, drinks hot cocoa, and watches the animals outside.  Teaching Opportunities:  Counting (backward and forward), Number Words, Rhyme, Onomatopoeia, Weather, Bathtime

Ten Dirty Pigs/Ten Clean Pigs  by Carol Roth 

One by one dirty pigs get into the tub where they scrub, rinse, splash, and brush.  Flip over the book.  The pigs get out of the tub where they dry off, dress, and go out.  Then, they get dirty all over again.  Teaching Opportunities:  Counting, Number Words, Personal Grooming, Bathtime, Rhyming Words, Alliteration, Poetry