Top 7 Storybooks for Teaching Math
Storybooks are an engaging way to introduce maths to preschoolers. They combine fun narratives, visuals, and hands-on activities to make learning numbers, counting, subtraction, and even multiplication enjoyable. Below are seven books that help children connect with maths through stories:
Trixie Ten: Teaches counting to ten with quirky characters tied to numbers.
Ten Terrible Dinosaurs: Introduces subtraction by counting down from ten.
Pete the Cat and His Four Groovy Buttons: Uses subtraction equations as Pete loses his buttons.
Jolly Olly Octopus: A fun way to count 1–10 with sea creatures.
One Is A Snail, Ten Is A Crab: Explores counting and part-whole thinking using animal feet.
The Clown's New Clothes: Focuses on measurement and length through a playful story.
Minnie's Diner: A Multiplying Menu: Simplifies multiplication with a doubling pattern.
These books use storytelling to make maths approachable and interactive, helping children build confidence in numeracy skills early on.
1. Trixie Ten by Sarah Massini
Trixie Ten introduces counting in a playful way, using ten uniquely quirky siblings, each tied to a number. For example, Wanda ONE is always sneezing, Thomas TWO can't stop hiccuping, and Nathaniel NINE roars like a lion. By giving each sibling a distinct personality, the book helps preschoolers link numbers to something memorable, making learning feel engaging and fun.
This character-driven approach sets the stage for interactive learning. Early years teacher Heidi Overbye highlights its effectiveness as a warm-up activity, saying:
This book encourages children to count to ten and develops their understanding of number words.
She also suggests:
Be prepared to make lots of different sounds while you are reading this book as you act out each sibling!.
This performative aspect turns reading into an active, hands-on experience where kids can sneeze, hiccup, and roar along with the characters.
The book is particularly suited for centres focused on creativity and interactive learning. At places like Little Dinosaurs Childcare, which prioritise arts-based education, Trixie Ten fits perfectly. It combines numeracy with dramatic play, supporting hands-on learning in line with Te Whāriki's principles.
2. Ten Terrible Dinosaurs by Paul Stickland
Ten Terrible Dinosaurs cleverly uses a countdown from ten to one to introduce young readers to the concept of "one-less-than." The story follows a group of ten dinosaurs, with one disappearing on each page, making subtraction a fun and visual experience for children aged 3 to 5.
The book's illustrations play a key role in reinforcing subtraction. Each page shows only the remaining dinosaurs, making it easy for kids to grasp the idea of taking one away. As noted by nrich.maths.org:
This colourful book counts down from ten dinosaurs to just one dinosaur, emphasising the one-less-than relationship between numbers when counting backwards.
The rhythmic, rhyming text adds another layer of engagement. The pattern of the rhyme helps children predict what comes next, strengthening both counting skills and numeral recognition. Early years teacher Heidi Overbye highlights this dual benefit:
Not only do children develop their counting and numeral recognition skills when they engage with this text, but they are also developing their ability to listen and identify rhyme in the story.
To wrap up the learning experience, the book includes a staircase pattern at the end, displaying the numbers one through ten. This clever design encourages kids to practise counting both forwards and backwards, turning the story into an interactive problem-solving activity. Each page invites readers to predict how many dinosaurs will be left, making it an engaging way to learn subtraction.
3. Pete the Cat and His Four Groovy Buttons by Eric Litwin
Pete the Cat and His Four Groovy Buttons brings maths to life for kids aged 3 to 5, using a fun and relatable story to introduce subtraction. The tale follows Pete, whose favourite shirt loses its buttons one by one. Each "loss" becomes an opportunity to explore the concept of "taking away" in a way that's easy for young learners to grasp.
What makes this book stand out is how it seamlessly combines storytelling with maths. Each time a button pops off, the corresponding subtraction equation (like 4 - 1 = 3) is displayed right on the page. As noted in the New Zealand Curriculum:
Pete the Cat is wearing his favourite shirt with the 4 groovy buttons and keeps singing his favourite song even when the buttons pop off one by one. Each 'loss' is recorded as a subtraction equation until Pete is left with no buttons.
This clever approach not only keeps kids engaged but also strengthens their understanding of subtraction through repetition and visual reinforcement.
The story also helps develop subitising skills - the ability to instantly recognise the number of objects in a small group without counting. To make the experience more interactive, you can ask questions like, "How many buttons are left?" after each page. Early Math Counts highlights this technique:
The book will ask 'How many buttons are left?' each time Pete loses a button. Before you turn the page, have the children tell you how many buttons are left on Pete's shirt. The next page has the answer, as well as a number sentence.
To deepen the learning, try using a fives frame with buttons during storytime. Children can physically remove buttons as Pete loses his, giving them a hands-on way to practise subtraction. By the end of the story, when Pete is left with no buttons, the concept of zero is introduced naturally, rounding out the lesson on subtraction.
4. Jolly Olly Octopus by Tony Mitton and Guy Parker-Rees
Jolly Olly Octopus offers a delightful way to explore numbers 1–10 through a fun underwater adventure. As Olly meets a variety of sea creatures, young readers are invited to count along, making the experience both interactive and entertaining.
The story cleverly incorporates numeracy without relying on repetitive drills. Instead, it uses the excitement of the narrative - like the surprise appearance of a shark - to keep kids engaged. This blend of storytelling and counting makes it a fantastic resource for introducing numbers in a natural and enjoyable way.
Early years teacher Heidi Overbye shares her thoughts on the book:
I love using this simple book as a warm up to get students in a 'maths mood' or at the beginning of the year when children are developing their knowledge of numbers 1-10.
Consider using Jolly Olly Octopus at the start of your numeracy lessons, especially when helping children build their confidence with numbers early in the school year. Counting the sea creatures on each page turns learning into a playful adventure, making it feel less like a lesson and more like a fun exploration under the sea.
5. One Is A Snail, Ten Is A Crab by April Pulley Sayre and Jeff Sayre
One Is A Snail, Ten Is A Crab offers a fun and imaginative way to teach kids about numbers by using animal feet for counting. In this clever story, a snail has one foot, a person has two, a dog has four, an insect has six, a spider has eight, and a crab has ten. This approach seamlessly guides young readers from simple counting all the way up to 100.
Beyond basic counting, the book introduces the concept of part-whole thinking - showing how numbers can be broken down and combined in different ways. For instance, the number seven could be represented as an insect and a snail (6 + 1) or as three people and a snail (2 + 2 + 2 + 1).
The vibrant beach-themed illustrations and playful tone make abstract concepts easy to grasp. As Kirkus Reviews notes:
The buggy-eyed insects, crabs, and snails provide an appealing cast of characters who stand up to be counted against a summertime palette of orange sand and blue skies.
You can find the book in New Zealand bookshops, priced between $15.96 and $19.00.
To make the experience even more engaging, try interactive reading. Pause on each page to explore the maths together. If a page features the number 6, for example, ask your child to come up with different ways to represent it: "3 people" (3 x 2), "1 dog and 1 person" (4 + 2), or "1 insect." For extra fun, encourage them to invent new counting units, like an octopus or a starfish.
6. The Clown's New Clothes by James Burnett and Calvin Irons
The Clown's New Clothes introduces preschoolers to the concept of measurement and length in a fun and relatable way. The story follows a clown searching for new clothes, and children are invited to help choose items based on their size and length. This theme of measurement ties in nicely with the counting and subtraction concepts covered in earlier books.
The book’s interactive nature makes it a standout. Early years teacher Heidi Overbye highlights its effectiveness:
The book uses clear mathematical language and prompts group discussion, as children have to choose the correct clothing items that the clown is looking for.
Available in a "big book" format, it’s perfect for group learning. The large illustrations grab children’s attention, making it easier for them to grasp size differences and understand measurement in a hands-on way. By focusing on measurement, the book adds another layer to the numeracy skills introduced in this series.
The story also serves as a great starting point for practical activities. For example, you can use it as a warm-up before hands-on measurement tasks. Set up a dress-up area where children can compare clothing lengths or organise a sorting activity with ribbons, scarves, and fabric strips of varying sizes. These activities encourage kids to use measurement terms like "longer", "shorter", "too big", and "just right" as they make decisions.
Teacher notes and play-based activities included with the book help extend the learning experience, turning storytime into an engaging maths lesson. At Little Dinosaurs Childcare in Auckland, interactive and play-based methods bring stories like this to life, making maths both fun and meaningful for young learners.
7. Minnie's Diner: A Multiplying Menu by Dayle Ann Dodds
Minnie's Diner: A Multiplying Menu by Dayle Ann Dodds is a delightful way to introduce the concept of doubling as multiplication. Published by Candlewick, the story follows a group of brothers whose orders at a diner keep doubling, creating a fun and clear pattern for young learners to understand how numbers grow when doubled.
The book’s charm lies in its rhythmic refrain: "Make it a double!" This playful repetition, combined with the diner setting, makes the abstract idea of multiplication more relatable. As highlighted by the New Zealand Ministry of Education:
Through the repeated refrain of 'Make it a double!' a family of brothers reveals the power of multiplication as they order from Minnie's Diner.
The familiar diner backdrop helps children connect the story to real-life scenarios, visualising food orders while grasping the concept of numerical growth. The illustrations, featuring trays stacked with food, further reinforce the idea of multiplication as grouping.
For an interactive twist, you could create a pretend menu with play food and let children practise doubling orders using counters. Pause during the story to ask questions like, “If one brother orders 4 items, how many will the next brother order?” This keeps the learning engaging and hands-on.
At Little Dinosaurs Childcare in Auckland, Minnie's Diner fits seamlessly into their play-based curriculum, transforming maths into an exciting, story-driven experience that helps children connect with numeracy in a meaningful way.
Conclusion
These storybooks do more than entertain - they help children develop essential numeracy skills in a fun and engaging way. By weaving counting, subtraction, and multiplication into captivating narratives, they make maths feel relatable and approachable. As the New Zealand Ministry of Education explains:
Using picture books with mathematical content can be an effective way to engage students and explore problems within entertaining contexts.
The illustrations in these books play a key role, helping to clarify concepts like arrays, doubling, and relative size. Alongside rhymes, catchy songs, and repeated refrains, they create a strong foundation for understanding mathematical ideas through storytelling. This visual and auditory approach equips children with practical skills, such as recognising patterns, quantifying collections, and grasping how numbers function in everyday life.
Early exposure to numeracy not only boosts confidence but also prepares children for the structured learning environment of school. These storybooks also introduce mathematical vocabulary - terms like "likely", "certain", and "possible" - in a relaxed and engaging way, encouraging natural discussions and reasoning .
At Little Dinosaurs Childcare in Epsom, Auckland, educators use these storybooks to inspire conversations and hands-on activities, integrating numeracy into their creative, Te Whāriki-based curriculum. With just 27 children in the group, they can focus on exploring these concepts deeply, helping children build confidence for their journey into school.
Whether at home or in an early learning centre, these storybooks demonstrate that maths can be a joyful, story-filled adventure. By blending storytelling with numeracy, they ignite curiosity and set the stage for confident problem-solving and lifelong learning.
FAQs
How do storybooks make learning maths fun for preschoolers?
Storybooks bring maths to life by transforming abstract ideas into relatable and engaging tales. With colourful illustrations and charming characters, these books introduce concepts like counting, patterns, and basic operations in a way that's both fun and easy to grasp. By blending maths with storytelling, children can see how these ideas fit into everyday situations, making learning feel more natural and enjoyable.
They also spark curiosity and encourage problem-solving by embedding maths challenges within the narrative. This hands-on approach not only boosts preschoolers' confidence in their maths skills but also nurtures a genuine enthusiasm for learning. Storybooks are a wonderful way to make maths approachable and fun for young minds.
What numeracy skills can children learn from these storybooks?
These storybooks make learning numbers an enjoyable adventure for children. Through engaging narratives, kids start to recognise and name numbers, count objects, and follow number sequences like "one, two, three". By linking verbal counting with visual aids, the stories help children understand the idea of "how many" in a group, making abstract concepts more tangible.
Some books go a step further by introducing number patterns or exploring larger numbers, giving kids a chance to build a stronger grasp of how numbers work together. Blending storytelling with basic maths concepts, these books create a fun and solid starting point for skills like counting, sequencing, and recognising numbers - key building blocks for future learning.
How can parents use these storybooks to support maths learning at home?
Parents can bring a sense of fun to maths learning at home by weaving storybooks into their daily reading time. Books like Friends You Can Count On and Little Owl's 1-2-3 introduce numbers and counting in a way that feels natural and entertaining. With relatable characters and colourful illustrations, these stories make numeracy concepts more approachable for children. Reading them aloud also gives parents the chance to demonstrate counting, recognising numbers, and tackling simple problems in a playful setting.
To take it a step further, you could ask questions such as, "Can you find all the animals on this page?" or "Where is the number four?" This sparks curiosity and encourages kids to think critically. You might even try creating activities inspired by the stories, like counting objects around the house or coming up with your own number-themed drawings. These little moments of interaction can make early maths learning not only fun but also something your child looks forward to.
