Want to teach your child about numbers? Here are the best counting books for kindergarten and preschool to explore counting, number sense, and number recognition.
Let’s get started with these adorable counting books!
Best Counting Books for Kindergarten
Learning to count and recognize numbers is an important skill for young learners. A fun way to learn about these concepts is through children’s books. These counting books can range in topics, which helps to keep young children interested and entertained.
This collection of children’s books about numbers features popular books I used in my own Kindergarten classroom and at home with my three children as they were learning math concepts of counting, number sense, and number recognition. There are over 35+ Counting books for you to read together.
Since we’re on the topic of children’s books, you may also find these books list helpful for your child.
You can use these number books with these Number Activities featured in our weekly preschool plans.
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Click on the book titles below to access the books.
On the Launch Pad: A Counting Book About Rockets (Know Your Numbers) by Micheal Dahl – 3 . . . 2 . . . 1 . . . blastoff! Each page features bright illustrations with hidden numbers in the artwork to introduce the concept of counting. This exciting combination of outer space and math keeps readers flipping the pages and counting along.
Fish Eyes: A Book You Can Count On by Lois Ehlert – Bold and vibrant fish who fill this playful deep sea adventure are sure to school and delight young readers with each page turn. Easy-to-read text and graphic shapes make this book the perfect counting classic to gift to every little one’s library.
1-2-3 Peas (The Peas Series) by Keith Baker – Meet the peas—the 1-2-3 Peas! Come along as they count from one to one hundred in this pea-filled picture book that’s packed with bright, bold numbers and playful number-themed scenes. These tiny green mathematicians will have young readers everywhere calling for more peas, please!
Ten Black Dots by Donald Crews – What can you do with ten black dots? One dot can make a sun, two dots can make the eyes of a fox, and three dots can make a snowman’s face. And that’s just the beginning in this unique counting book! Children will develop visual learning skills, explore creativity, and practice counting numbers, all in one deceptively simple—and fun!—picture book.
10 Little Rubber Ducks by Eric Carle – “Ducks overboard!” shouts the captain, as a giant wave washes a box of 10 little rubber ducks off his cargo ship and into the sea. The ducks are swept away in various directions. One drifts west, where a friendly dolphin jumps over it. A whale sings to another. But as the sun sets, the 10th little rubber duck is left all alone, bobbing helplessly on the big wide sea. Small readers and listeners will empathize with the little duck’s plight—and will rejoice at the heartwarming surprise ending.
Activities for 10 Little Rubber Ducks
Mouse Count by Ellen Stoll Walsh – Count the mice from 1 to 10 and back again as they outsmart a hungry snake! A companion to Mouse Paint and Mouse Shapes. This suspenseful story features bold collage art and a touch of mischief that’s sure to appeal to preschoolers who have mastered counting from 1 to 10 and causing some mischief of their own.
Mouse Count Activities for Kids
1, 2, 3 to the Zoo: A Counting Book by Eric Carle – This book combines simple counting with Carle’s unusual illustrations of animals. Early learners will find the whimsical pictures appealing as they learn the beginning rudiments of numbers and counting.
Goodnight, Numbers by Alicia Padron – This deceptively simple bedtime book sneaks in secret counting concepts to help make your 2-5 year old smarter . . . and by the end, sleepier! The first in the McKellar Math line, Goodnight, Numbers gives your child the building blocks for math success. As children say goodnight to the objects all around them—three wheels on a tricycle, four legs on a cat—they will connect with the real numbers in their world while creating cuddly memories, night after night. Loving numbers is as easy as 1, 2, 3!
Feast for 10 by Cathryn Falwell – Enjoy this classic counting book and lively read-aloud featuring a family shopping for food, preparing dinner, and enjoying a meal together. This board book edition is perfect for little hands. Count from one to ten—then count again! What does it take to make a feast for ten hungry people? Shopping, cooking, setting the table—everyone in this loving family pitches in to create a colorful and joyful feast. Lively read-aloud text paired with bright collage illustrations.
One Duck Stuck: A Mucky Ducky Counting Book by Phyllis Root – Can two fish, tails going swish, help? What about three moose, munching on spruce? Bright, spirited illustrations by Jane Chapman enhance this one-of-a-kind counting tale by Phyllis Root — a feast of sounds and numbers that will have listeners scrambling to join in the slippy, sloppy fun.
Chicka Chicka 1, 2, 3 by Bill Martin Jr. and Michael Sampson – 1 told 2 and 2 told 3, “I’ll race you to the top of the apple tree.” One hundred and one numbers climb the apple tree in this bright, rollicking, joyous book for young children. As the numerals pile up and bumblebees threaten, what’s the number that saves the day? (Hint: It rhymes with “hero.”)
Chicka Chicka Boom Boom Activities
How Many Bugs in a Box?: A Pop-up Counting Book by David A. Carter –
The Crayons’ Book of Numbers by Drew Daywalt – Poor Duncan can’t catch a break! First, his crayons go on strike. Then, they come back home. Now his favorite colors are missing once again! Can you count up all the crayons that are missing from his box?
One Big Building: A Counting Book About Construction by Michael Dahl – A counting book that follows the construction of a building, from one plan to twelve stories. Readers are invited to find hidden numbers on an illustrated activity page.
Construction Activity for Kids
Counting Creatures by Julia Donaldson – A gorgeous lift-the-flap counting book that pairs parent animals with their babies, from the bestselling author of Room on the Broom. From a bat and its pup, to a frog and its twelve tadpoles, young readers will delight in counting each creature’s babies and learning unusual scientific names for young animals. With rhyming text, lift-the-flaps and peekaboo holes, and a surprise search-and-find element, this is a read-aloud delight and preschool must-have.
Dog’s Colorful Day: A Messy Story About Colors by Emma Dodd – Dog starts off the day with one black spot on his ear. But it seems that wherever he goes, he runs, rolls, and trots right into colors. As he wanders around town, Dog collects spots made of red jam, blue paint, pink ice cream, and more. When he finally arrives back home, Dog has ten different colored spots. And then it’s bath time for this colorful canine, who makes learning colors and numbers easy, messy, and fun!
Pete the Cat and the Missing Cupcakes by Kimberly and James Dean – Pete the Cat and his friends are busy as can be baking cupcakes for a cupcake party, and Pete can’t wait to perform with his groovy band. But some of the cupcakes have gone missing. Who could have taken them? In this latest Pete the Cat picture-book adventure by New York Times bestselling authors James and Kimberly Dean, Pete and the gang solve the mystery of the missing cupcakes and learn that it’s cool to be kind. Pete the Cat and his friends are busy as can be baking cupcakes for a cupcake party, and Pete can’t wait to perform with his groovy band. But some of the cupcakes have gone missing. Who could have taken them?
Stack the Cats by Susie Ghahremani – One cat sleeps. Two cats play. Three cats stack!
Cats of all shapes and sizes scamper, stretch and yawn across the pages of this adorable counting book. And every now and then, they find themselves in the purrfect fluffy stack!
One Fox: A Counting Book Thriller by Kate Read – One hungry fox with two sly eyes is on the prowl . . . three plump hens had better watch out! Rich and colorful illustrations plunge the reader into a dramatic and exciting story set in a moonlit farmyard.
Ten on a Twig by Lo Cole – Watch the birds fall as the pages turn in this interactive picture book from the publisher of the Don’t Push the Button series! In this charming, deceptively simple counting book, ten birds sit on a twig. As each falls off, they take a piece of the twig with them, and in the end, they have a new home―just in time to say goodnight.
Counting With -Contando Con Frida by Patty Rodriguez and Ariana Stein – Introduce your little one to the life of one of Mexico’s most iconic painters, Frida Kahlo, while teaching them their numbers, 1 to 10, in English and Spanish. Count una casa azul (one blue house), tres flores (three flowers), and cinco retratos (five portraits).
Counting Crocodiles by Judy Sierra – Poor Monkey. All she has to eat are sour lemons. One day she spies a banana tree on a faraway island, but the only way to get there is to navigate the crocodile-infested waters of the Sillabobble Sea. That’s no problem when you’re a brave and clever monkey who can count to ten and back!
Counting Our Way to Maine by Maggie Smith – This book takes one baby, two dogs, and three bicycles on a journey from the big city to Maine’s seacoast. Objects packed for the trip and things seen along the way are all happily counted, finishing in a shining finale as the family tallies 20 fireflies found during their last evening in Maine.
Quack and Count by Keith Baker – Slip, slide, leap, and dive with a family of seven lively ducklings as they get ready to fly for the very first time. Keith Baker’s playful, rhyming text and bold collage illustrations capture the excitement of a day’s adventures–and gently introduce counting.
From the Garden: A Counting Book About Growing Food by Michael Dahl – Pea pods, cucumbers, and strawberries provide plenty of opportunities for counting in the garden! Follow Dad, Grandma, and other family members as they pick and count. Hidden numbers on every page give readers an opportunity to search and learn.
Kids Gardening Activities and Seed Counting Activity and Printable
Ten Red Apples by Pat Hutchins – Ten red apples hanging on a tree. Yippee, fiddle-dee-fee! But they are not there for long. Horse, cow, donkey, pig, hen, and the other farm animals each eat one. “Save one for me,” calls the farmer. But what about the farmer’s wife? Count on Pat Hutchins to solve the problem happily. And count the red apples before they are all gone!
When I Am Big (A counting book from 1 to 25) by Maria Dek – A Walk in the Forest introduced the enormously talented Maria Dek, and When I Am Big is a beguiling follow up to her first success. Charming illustrations and text encourage young children to explore what they can do as they grow up. The adventurous child imagines “I will tie my shoes all by myself, make 3 knots with big bows”; to eat twenty pizzas in one sitting, or walk animals, eight at a time, while teaching them tricks. When I Am Big is also an unconventional counting book, as it goes all the way to twenty-five. The result is a book that nourishes a child’s curiosity, confidence, and delight in the world’s wonders.
I Know Numbers! by Taro Gomi – How do we love numbers? Let us count the ways: They’re on street signs and bus stops, featured on phones, thermometers, chalkboards, and scales. They show the time and the date, and help us to measure distance, sizing, and so much more. This spirited picture book by beloved author-illustrator Taro Gomi will charm and inform the youngest of readers, offering them a unique—and useful—look at a key concept we count on.
Once A Bear: A Counting Book by Ron Atlas – Once a bear sat on a chair. He is soon joined by a furry friend and then, one by one, other playmates follow. Each bear claims a chair as they wait with eager anticipation for what happens next in this sweet counting story. With dynamic rhymes and lively illustrations, this board book offers an engaging premise for young readers to practice their counting and get to know a group of eclectic bear friends. From Ron Atlas, the author of Looking for Zebra and Ten Pigs Fiddling, this timeless book will become a staple in any household with children.
Bear Counts by Karma Wilson – Numbers, numbers everywhere. Can you count along with Bear? Karma Wilson’s spirited text and Jane Chapman’s inviting illustrations make for a delightful introduction to numbers, perfect for young Bear fans.
ONE Very Big Bear by Alice Brière-Haquet – As far as he can tell, Bear is the biggest thing around. He might even be a giant! It’s not long before other, smaller animals set him straight in this charmingly illustrated book about counting and relative size. Together, two walruses, three foxes, and so on, are the same size as Bear, each teasing him for foolishly thinking that there is nothing bigger than he. When six sardines arrive to tell Bear that together, they are just as big as he is, Bear has had enough and gobbles them up for breakfast.
Kahlo’s Koalas: 1, 2, 3, Count Art with Me by Grace Helmer – Introduce your little one to some of the world’s best artists while teaching them their numbers 1 to 10. With illustrator Grace Helmer’s quirky renderings of animals in the style of world-famous artists, Kahlo’s Koalas extends the basic counting concept in a simple, one number, one image per spread format that introduces the smallest children to their first concept of numbers, animals and art appreciation.
My Granny Went to Market by Stella Blackstone – Fly away with Granny as she takes a magic carpet ride around the world, collecting a steadily increasing number of souvenirs from each unique location! This rhyming story will take young readers on an adventure to different countries while teaching them to count along the way.
One Is a Piñata: A Book of Numbers by Roseanne Greenfield Thong – One is a rainbow. One is a cake. One is a piñata that’s ready to break! In this lively picture book, a companion to the Pura Belpré–honored Green Is a Chile Pepper, children discover a fiesta of numbers in the world around them, all the way from one to ten. Many of the featured objects are Latino in origin and all are universal in appeal. With rich, boisterous illustrations, a fun-to-read rhyming text, and an informative glossary, this vibrant book enumerates the joys of counting and the wonders that abound in every child’s day!
100 Bugs: A Counting Book by Kate Narita – How many bugs can you count? From walking sticks to spittlebugs, dragonflies to katydids, discovering 10 bugs at a time, you just might see 100 bugs! Little explorers will learn 10 different ways to count to 10, using 10 different kinds of bugs, and get all the way to 100 by the end of their adventure. With Suzanne Kaufman’s bright, whimsical illustrations and Kate Narita’s clever rhyming text, 100 Bugs! is part look-and-find, part learning experience, and all kinds of fun.
Ten Magic Butterflies by Danica McKellar – Join ten flower friends for a night of excitement that mixes a little math with a lot of magic. As each flower turns into a butterfly, children will discover different ways to group numbers to create ten, an essential building block of math, all while watching each flower’s dream come true. (And keep an eye out for the adorable caterpillar who wishes he could fly, too!)
Which counting book will you read first?
There you have it! A collection of over 30 counting books for kindergarteners and preschoolers! So many options to encourage your child to explore math at an early age.
Additional Preschool Activities
You may also be interested in these book suggestions and activities for your preschooler.
- Number Activities
- STEM Books
- Shape Books
- Alphabet Books
- Alphabet Activities
- DIY Number Book Tutorial
- Free Preschool Lesson Plans
List of Counting Books for Kids
Keep this list of counting books handy for when you’re at the library looking for books for your child or class. Click on the book titles to access the books on Amazon.
I’ve made an option to download and print this book list out for easy reference.
- On the Launch Pad: A Counting Book About Rockets by Micheal Dahl
- Fish Eyes: A Book You Can Count On by Lois Ehlert
- 1-2-3 Peas by Keith Baker
- Ten Black Dots by Donald Crews
- 10 Little Rubber Ducks by Eric Carle
- Mouse Count by Ellen Stoll Walsh
- 1, 2, 3 to the Zoo: A Counting Book by Eric Carle
- Goodnight, Numbers by Alicia Padron
- Feast for 10 by Cathryn Falwell
- One Duck Stuck: A Mucky Ducky Counting Book by Phyllis Root
- Chicka Chicka 1, 2, 3 by Bill Martin Jr. and Michael Sampson
- How Many Bugs in a Box?: A Pop-up Counting Book by David A. Carter
- The Crayons’ Book of Numbers by Drew Daywalt
- One Big Building: A Counting Book About Construction by Michael Dahl
- Counting Creatures by Julia Donaldson
- Dog’s Colorful Day: A Messy Story About Colors by Emma Dodd
- Pete the Cat and the Missing Cupcakes by Kimberly and James Dean
- Stack the Cats by Susie Ghahremani
- One Fox: A Counting Book Thriller by Kate Read
- Ten on a Twig by Lo Cole
- Counting With -Contando Con Frida by Patty Rodriguez and Ariana Stein
- Counting Crocodiles by Judy Sierra
- Counting Our Way to Maine by Maggie Smith
- Quack and Count by Keith Baker
- From the Garden: A Counting Book About Growing Food by Michael Dahl
- Ten Red Apples by Pat Hutchins
- When I Am Big by Maria Dek
- I Know Numbers! by Taro Gomi
- Once A Bear: A Counting Book by Ron Atlas
- Bear Counts by Karma Wilson
- ONE Very Big Bear by Alice Brière-Haquet
- Kahlo’s Koalas: 1, 2, 3, Count Art with Me by Grace Helmer
- My Granny Went to Market by Stella Blackstone
- One Is a Piñata: A Book of Numbers by Roseanne Greenfield Thong
- 100 Bugs: A Counting Book by Kate Narita
- Ten Magic Butterflies by Danica McKellar
You may also be interested in these book lists and activities for your child…
