Concept Books: General (Learning Numbers & Counting)

Even though counting books are geared for preschool aged children, older kids will often enjoy them too.  My nine year old looked at One Boy several times because it is so creative and entertaining.  He also enjoyed Over at the Castle and One Tractor.   Check out my favorite counting books (general). 

One Boy by Laura Vaccaro Seeger

Using a peek-a-boo window, children can practice counting, identifying words with in words, and predicting.   This clever book begins with a simple phrase on the left side and a window looking on to the next page on the right side.  As you turn the page, the phrase creatively continues and uses parts of the previous one.  In addition, more of the original picture is revealed.  It is sure to bring children back over and over!  Teaching Opportunities:  Counting, Numbers, Numeral Words, Prediction, Words with in Words  *My Top Pick 

Over at the Castle by Boni Ashburn

Using the familiar “Over the Meadow” folk song, a picture of castle life is illustrated.  A mother dragon and her child wait for the right moment to make their entrance.  Meanwhile, groups of lords, servants, chefs, weavers, knights, and others are seen doing their daily work.  Written in beautiful rhyming quatrains and coupled with vivid pictures, the dragons appearance makes a glorious glow in the sky.  Teaching Opportunities:  Counting, Numeral Words, Rhyming, Alliteration, Poetry, Castle Life, Middle Ages, Dragons

One Tractor by Alexandra Siy

Little boys will love this imaginative counting book!  A boy sees a toy tractor on this grass which he imagines is out of gas.  From there, he imagines his interaction with other forms of transportation like planes, boats, dump trucks, trains, and buses.  Each are in groups from two to ten with pirates (and a single mouse) driving, flying, running, swimming, hoisting, and more.  Teaching Opportunities:  Counting, Numbers, Numeral Words, Transportation, Pirates, Rhyme, Alliteration, Poetry, Imagination 

One Sister Smiling by Lucy Coats

From breakfast with one smiling sister to pick-up timeby ten happy parents, a joyful preschool day is described with lots of fun activities and happy faces in the illustrations.  The children are seen painting with five pots, eating six donuts, skipping in a group of seven, and much more.  Teaching Opportunities:  Counting, Numbers, Numerals Words, Rhyme, Alliteration, Onomatopoeia, Poetry, School, Daily Schedule  

The Baker’s Dozen: A Counting Book by Dan Andreasen

This delectable book counts to a baker’s dozen, thirteen.  A baker is illustrated with creating his delicious desserts, such as four sticky buns, five gingerbread cookies, six jelly rolls, seven heart-shaped tarts, and so forth.  Then, all the desserts are shown again for more counting practice.  Teaching Opportunities:  Counting, Numbers, Numeral Words, Rhyme, Baking, Shapes 

 

Construction Countdown by K.C. Olson

Various construction vehicles are shown in action, such as earthmovers scraping up a load, bulldozers reshaping the ground, and backhoes scooping up the gravel.  Little boys will love watching these amazing vehicles in action in this backwards counting story.  Teaching Opportunities:  Counting, Construction Vehicles, Transportation 

Carlo Likes Counting by Jessica Spanyol

Carlo, a giraffe, loves counting.  He walks around to many different places like a farm, a toy store, a park, a diner, a garden, and a construction site.  In each scene there are several groups of items for one specific number.  Teaching Opportunities:  Counting, Number Words, Animals, Vocabulary Building (each group of items is labeled) 

Ten Red Apples by Virginia Miller

Bartholomew Bear loves his apple tree.  He climbs it, hugs it, swings on it, and shakes it as he watches the apples ripen.  Watch as a new apple turns red on each page until there are ten in all (Children can also feel the smooth texture of the red ones!).  Then, Bartholomew and his mother make an apple pie with them and enjoy it together under the tree.  Teaching Opportunities:  Counting, Number Words, Bears, Baking, Apple Picking

One Beautiful Baby by Martine Oborne  

A mother is seen waking her baby boy for the day's activities.  The first thought is his one sweet smile.  As she feeds him, she thinks of his two adorable eyes.  She counts things for him like three bananas at breakfast and four diaper during changing time.  The baby plays with his five soft toys before his mother buttons him up for a trip to the park to feed eight ducks and have a picnic.  When you put all of these parts of his body and day together, the end result is "one beautiful baby!"  Teaching Opportunties:  Counting, Number Words, Ducks, Park, Body Parts

City Lullaby by Marilyn Singer

In this backwards counting tale, a baby is sleeping while being strolled through a noisy city.  Horns beeping, cell phones ringing, dogs barking, and trash cans bashing are amoung the many loud sounds the baby sleeps soundly through.  Ironically, when a single bird twitters, he awakens with a smile.  Teaching Opportunities:  Counting, Numerals, Onomatopoeia, Rhyme


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Circus 1-2-3 by Megan Halsey  

Beginning with a dynamic ringmaster, members of circus acts are grouped from two to ten.  Two spunky mice lead the way through the acts as elephants do somersaults, bears dance, acrobats defy gravity, seals balance, clowns amuse, and much more.  Each page has a number and a single word describing the acts.  Teaching Opportunities:  Counting, Numerals, Circus Acts, Vocabulary Building