10 Fun Counting Books for Young Learners

“Kahlo’s Koalas” is a great book for not only teaching your kid to counting, but introducing them to some of the world’s best artists. Little ones can count animal characters framed in unique styles of real-life artists, like “Picasso Panda” and “Kahlo Koala.” 

The ever-changing art styles will surprise and delight your little one with the turn of every page. Who says math and art don’t go well together?

National Geographic’s stunning photography takes the stage in this  first installment in the popular “Look & Learn” series. With vivid images and fun facts, kids can count real animals and sea creatures in their natural habitats, and learn about how they eat and live along the way. This book is great for building number recognition and nurturing curiosity about our natural world.

What’s more fun than counting in one language? Counting in two! “One, Two, Three Dim Sum” is the perfect book for Mandarin-English speaking tots and parents interested in planting the seeds for future language learning as their kids get older. This digital version of the board book also makes for a delicious primer into the world of Chinese foods.

If your kid loves listening to stories before bed, here’s a great read-aloud to help you sneak in a quick counting lesson.

“Bedtime 123” follows creatures of the forest as they drift off to sleep at the day’s end. You can help your child count the moon and stars coming out, chicks cuddling and foxes snuggling. This soothing, gorgeously illustrated book is simple enough for young learners to follow, and gentle enough to lull them to sleep, just like the creatures on the farm.

“The Twelve Days of Winter” follows a teacher and her students as they explore different holiday activities. They play with jingle bells, and create paper snowflakes and even make igloos out of sugar cubes. But as the story progresses, it moves deeper and deeper into happy holiday chaos.

Inspired by “The 12 Days of Christmas,” this zany rhyming number book will keep your kid giggling as they count along to the silly antics.

Thirteen flies become tasty snacks in this funny STEM picture book. When a swarm of flies buzzes along, one by one they get snatched up by a predator along the way. From getting zapped or wrapped, to liquefied or zombified, the science is real, and offers plenty of gross-factor to tickle young readers as they learn about predators and prey—and subtraction, too. It even includes a bug-eating guide with nutritional info!

“1 told 2 and 2 told 3, ‘I’ll race you to the top of the apple tree.'” If you thought the alphabet-themed “Chicka Chicka Boom Boom” was a stunning, fun-filled read, get ready for even more zany learning fun with this lively counting book. Your kid will love following along, as numbers 1 through 101 race up the apple tree (and then wind up in a pile at the bottom) in this rollicking sing-along version.

“Counting the Stars” tells the story of Katherine Johnson, a NASA mathematician. Along with a team of other talented female mathematicians, she worked as what was known as NASA’s “human computers” in the 1950s and ‘60s. Their work, mostly done by hand, was essential for launching some of the first US spacecraft.

It’s not exactly a counting book, but it is a fascinating and empowering way to introduce your kindergarten, first-grade and second-grade kid to the important role math concepts play in scientific and social progress.

A gentlemanly skeleton in a top hat named Señor Galavera shows up at the door and says it’s time for Grandma Beetle to come with him. But, the spirited old woman refuses and tells him to wait “just a minute” with a knowing smile. One minute turns into two bowls of tea, then three stacks of tortillas, building toward a sweetly clever ending that will warm your kid’s heart. This stunningly illustrated bilingual picture book is a vibrant tribute to the richness of Mexican culture.

Clarissa can’t sleep so, like lots of folks, she decides to count some sheep. But before she knows it, there are 10 sheep in her room! One sheep advises her to try counting alpacas instead. Soon she’s surrounded by llamas, yaks and all sorts of wooly animals bouncing, bleating animals around her room. So Clarissa counts backward until she finds herself alone and goes to sleep. Share some laughs as you learn skip counting by twos, fives and tens with this charming little book.