Counting Books

[Evaluation] [Internet Counting Pages] [Bibliography]

Evaluation

Criteria:

1. Clarity. For young children clear depiction of numerals, close relation of text to pictures and easily identifiable objects, if numbers are to be counted. It should be clear what is being counted.
   

2. Accuracy. Number of objects being counted should be clear and accurate.
   

3. Use of Space. For young children, uncluttered illustrtations with plenty of open space to set off numerals and objects are best.
   

4. Concepts Presented: Some books advertised as counting books are not really counting books at all. The illustrator may be illustrating math concepts other than addition or subtraction.
   

   [Back to Top]
   

   Internet Counting Books

   Lower Elementary Math
   Numerous links to online resources
   

   [Back to Top]
   

   Bibliography

   Albee, Sarah. The Oreo Cookie Counting Book. Illustrated by Victoria Raymond. Simon & Schuster, 2000. Board book

   Readers can count down as ten OREO cookies are dunked, nibbled, and stacked one by one until thre are none. Review at Barnes & Noble
   

   Anno, Mitsumasa, ill. Anno's Counting Book T. Crowell, 1977.
   Complex; sets; seasons; counting; etc. An ALA Notable Book.
   

   Anno, Mitsumasa, ill. Anno's Counting House
   Illustrates math concepts.
   

   Anno, Mitsumasa, ill. Anno's Magic Seeds. Philomel, 1995. Ages 4-8
   

   A gift of two magic seeds from a wizard makes Jack's fortune, as he eats some and plants others. Can work math concepts into the book. Review at Amazon
   

   Anno, Mitsumasa, ill. Anno's Math Games Philomel, 1982. Ages 4-8
   

   Basic math concepts introduced through games. Complex.
   

   Anno, Mitsumasa, ill. Anno's Math Games II Philomel, 1989.
   Math concepts.
   

   Introduces cause and effect, the meaning of counting and measureing and other concepts. Review at Amazon
   

   Anno, Mitsumasa, ill. Anno's Math Games III. Reprint ed. Paper Star, 1997. Ages 4-8
   

   Picture puzzles, games and simple activities introduce the mathematical concepts of abstract thinking, circuitry, geometry, and topology.
   

   Anno, Mitsumasa and Masaichiro Anno. Anno's Mysterious Multiplying Jar. Putnam, 1983. Ages 4-8
   

   Introduces concept of factorials. Review at Amazon
   

   Arnold, Tedd. Five Ugly Monsters. Cartwheel Books, 1995.
   

   A variation on the familiar nursery rhyme finds five ugly little monsters jumping on a forbidden bed, fall off, bumping their heads, and being warned by the doctor to behave. Five monsters, four monsters, etc. until there is only one. Reviews at Amazon
   

   Bang, Molly. Ten, Nine, Eight. Greenwillow, 1996, c1983. Preschool to Grade 1.

   A countdown to bedtime. 1984 Caldecott Honor Book. Reviews at Barnes & Noble.
   

   Carter, David. How Many Bugs in a Box?; A Pop-Up Counting Book. Simon & Schuster, 1988.
   

   Pop-up and movble features reveal to the reader how many bugs are in each of ten boxes. Reviews at Barnes & Noble
   

   Cartwheel Books Story Corner.Bang, Molly, ill. Ten, Nine, Eight Greenwillow, 1983.
   

   Starts with 10 and counts backward. Caldecott Honor Book.
   

   Carle, Eric, ill. My Very First Book of Numbers T. Crowell, 1974.
   Concepts include sets as well as counting.
   

   Carle, Eric, ill. 1, 2, 3 to the Zoo T. Crowell, 1974.
   

   Carle, Eric, ill. The Very Hungry Caterpillar Philomel, 1969.
   

   Christelow, Eileen. Five Little Monkeys Sitting in a Tree. Edited by James Cross Giblin. Clarion, 1991. Baby-Preschool
   

   A version of the traditional hand rhyme. IRA/CBC Children's Choice Book. Reviews at Amazon
   

   Crews, Donald. Ten Black Dots Greenwillow, 1986.
   Rhymes and illustrations about dots.
   

   Elgar, Rebecca. One Lonely Lion; Lift-The-Flaps Sterling, 1998. Baby-preschool
   

   One lonely lion, wondering what to do. Open the flap-and enjoy more animals. Review at Amazon
   

   The Father Who Had Ten Children. Edited by Skip Skwarek; illustrated by Benedicte Guettier. 1st ed. Dial Books for Young Readers, 1999. AGes 4-8
   

   A "take-off" of the "Old Woman in the Shoe"; a humorous look at parenthood which will be enjoyed by parents and children. Father decides he needs a break, builds a boat and sets off on a world cruise by himself. Missing his children terribly, he returns and they all sail off together. Much counting to ten as father dresses, feeds his children. Reviews at Amazon
   

   Feelings, Muriel. Moja Means One: Swahili Counting Book Ill. by Tom Feelings. Dial, 1971.
   

   Giganti, Paul. Each Orange Had Eight Slices : A Counting Book. Illustrated by Donald Crews. Big ed. Mulberry Books, 1994. Ages 4-8
   

   Kids can learn and practice basic math skills, count to 50 and an introduction to multiplication. Reviews at Amazon
   

   Grossman, Bill. My Little Sister Ate One Hare Illustrated by Kevin Hawkes. Reprint ed. Random House, 1998.
   

   Hamm, Diane Johnston. How Many Feet in the Bed? Simon and Schuster, 1991.
   Count by 2's.
   

   Hoban, Russell. Ten What? A Mystery Counting Book. Ill. by Sylvie Selig. Scribner's 1975.
   

   Hoban, Tana. 1, 2, 3. William Morrow, 1985. Baby-Preschool.
   

   Hoban, Tana. Count and See Photos by the author. Macmillan, 1972.
   

   Hoban, Tana. 26 Letters and 99 Cents. pa. William Morrow, 1995. Pre-school to Grade 3.

   Introduction to the alphabet and counting money. B&N.
   

   Hobzek, Mildred. We Can A-Marching...1, 2, 3 Ill. by William pene de Bois. Parents Magazing.
   Rhyming narrative that teachs children how to count in twelve languages.
   

   Hutchins, Pat, ill. One Hunter Greenwillow, 1982.
   

   Keats, Ezra Jack, ill. Over in the Meadow Puffin, 1999; Four Winds, 1972.
   

   The nursery poem in counting book format.
   

   Kirk, David. Miss Spider's Tea Party: The Counting Book. Scholastic, 1997. Board book

   When lonely Miss Spider tries to host a tea party, the other bugs refuse to come for fear of being eaten! Reviews at Barnes & Noble.
   

   Langstaff, John. Over in the Meadow Ill. by Feodor Rojankovsky. Harcourt, 1957.
   

   Lanczak, Rozanne. Coin Counting Book. pa ed. Charlesbridge, 2001.

   Ages 5 to 9. Children will enjoy counting and adding while learning the names and denominations of all of the U.S. coins. Review at Barnes & Noble
   

   Lasker, Joe. Lentil Soup Ill. by author. Chicago: Albert Whitman, 1977.
   Cardinal and ordinal concepts.
   

   Little, Mary E. 1, 2, 3 for the Library Ill. by author. New York: Atheneum, 1974.
   

   McGrath, Barbara Barbieri. M and M's Brand Chocolate Candies Counting Book. Charlesbridge, 1994. Ages 4-8. Review at Barnes & Noble
   

   Merriam, Eve. 12 Ways to Get to 11. Illustrated by Bernie Karlin. Aladdin Paperbacks, 1996. Ages 4-8
   

   A different twist to a counting book combinations of objects add up to 11. Reviews at Amazon
   

   Padded Board Books: 123. D K Pub., 1997. Snapshot Books.
   

   Board book. Pictures of animals and objects. Review at Barnes & Noble
   

   Peek, Merle. Roll Over! A Counting Song Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1981.
   Subtraction.
   

   Potter, Beatrix. Peter Rabbit's Counting Book. Board ed. Frederick Warne, 1999. Baby-Preschool.
   

   Favorite characters to count from Potter's stories.
   

   Russell, Sandra. A Farmer's Dozen Harper & Row, 1982.
   Uses sets of fruits.
   

   Saul, Carol P. Barn Cat: A Counting Book. Illustrated by Mary Azarian. Brown, Little and co., 2001.

   Because she's looking for something special, the great barn cat notices but shows no interest in the activities of the animals which can be counted around her. Review at Barnes & Noble
   

   Sendak, Maurice, ill. One Was Johnny: A Counting Book in his Nutshell Library. Harper, 1962.
   

   One was Johnny until others come to call. Johnnny counts to ten and back again to get rid of them all. Good participation book.
   

   Sheather, Allan and Kim Michelle Toft. One Less Fish. Charlesbridge, 1998. Ages 5 to 8.

   Counting down from twelve to zero, the reader learns bout some of the fish found on the Great Barrier Reef and the threats to their continued existence. Useful in a unit on environmental protection. Reviews at Barnes & Noble
   

   Sis, Peter. Fire Truck. Greenwillow, 1998. Ages 4-8
   

   Peter so loves his fire truck he turns into one. Provides opportunity for kids to practice their numbers, 1-10. Reviews at Amazon
   

   [Back to Top]
   

Return to Picture Books
Return to Children's Literature