We love math picture books!

I think it is so important to introduce children to math early on, in fun ways. Because of this, math picture books and games have been an integral part of our family routine for years now- long before our decision to homeschool.

10+ Math Picture Books Your Kids Will Love

Truth be told, I’ve been wanting to do a math-themed month of picture books for a while now. In fact, this post has been in my drafts for months. The trouble is, there are so many great math storybooks out there today, making it extremely difficult to choose favorites. I have gone back and forth over my choices one too many times and I’ve decided that today I’m just going to click “publish” and stop hemming and hawing. Because we have so many favorites, I’ve included some of our other favorites at the bottom of this post.

Our family’s favorite math picture books: 

Without further ado, here are my picks (before I can change my mind again!). When you’re finished reading, be sure to leave me a comment and let me know your family’s favorites!

Math Curse by Jon Scieszka

I love Jon Scieszka’s books (The True Story of the Three Little Pigs; The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales) and Math Curse does not disappoint! Scieszka’s books are always fun for children and adults. These are books you don’t mind reading and re-reading because they are truly entertaining and fun to read aloud! In this story, the main character is afflicted with a “math curse” which makes her view all events in her life as math problems. This is the perfect response to children asking, “But when am I ever going to use this?!” while doing their math homework. It’s funny and a super-fun way to sneak in some math!

Math for All Seasons by Greg Tang

Truth be told, I could do an entire math month of Greg Tang’s Math-terpieces! Tang is a Harvard grad and experienced math teacher. He has a knack for writing about mathematics in a way that is engaging, fun for children, and educational. It was difficult to choose our favorite Tang book. I strongly encourage those who end up loving Math for All Seasons to explore Tang’s other works as you will not be disappointed!

The Doorbell Rang by Pat Hutchins

My children adore this book. This is a sweet story about sharing, but it’s so much more than that… it’s early math! Two children and a plate of one dozen cookies must figure out how to share their loot with friends each time the doorbell rings. And that doorbell just keeps ringing! The repetition in this story makes for a perfect learning opportunity. It’s a classic in our home and I hope your children love it, too!

A Place for Zero by Angeline Sparagna LoPresti

Zero can be a tricky concept for children and books like A Place for Zero and Zero is the Leaves on the Tree help children grasp the concept in a fun, non-threatening way. When you read the story of Zero, a number who feels left out amongst the other numbers, your children will be learning about higher-level concepts, including multiplication, division, and even the concept of infinity!

How Much is a Million by David M. Schwartz

I already admitted that I had trouble deciding upon which books to include in this month’s list, but How Much is a Million? has been on every single draft to date. It made the cut time and time again. I love this book. Love love love!  This gem has been around for over 20-years and has many well-deserved accolades. With whimsical illustrations that your children will adore, How Much is a Million? takes children on a visual journey that helps children conceptualize just how vast numbers can be! This is a creative, magical, and funny read-aloud that will have your children fascinated with numbers!

Do you want to add more awesome math resources to your homeschool day?

Here are more math picture books that we adore:

It was so tough to choose this month! Here are some of our family’s favorite math story books that deserve some love, too!

 

• Bedtime Math (3-book series) by Laura Overdeck
• Fraction Fun by David A. Adler
• Zero is the Leaves on the Tree by Betsy Franco
• Grapes of Math by Greg Tan
• The Best of Times by Greg Tan
• Full House: An Invitation to Fractions by Dayle Ann Dodds
• Spaghetti and Meatballs for All by Marilyn Burns

Do you want to expose your children to higher-level math concepts in a fun way?

The following books are a bit heavier than storybooks, yet they are treasured in our home. As a parent, I love how these books weave complicated math concepts into interesting stories. My children are enjoying the stories and have no idea that they are learning math that, in public school, is saved for the later years.

 

• The Adventures of Penrose the Mathematical Cat by Theoni Pappas
• The Number Devil: A Mathematical Adventure by Hans Magnus Enzensberger
• Life of Fred (series) by Stanley Schmidt
• Sir Cumference (series) by Cindy Neuschwander

Does your family love math picture books? Do you want to see how to transform math books into hands-on learning?

Here is a post I wrote about how we use math books in our homeschool:

Take your math picture book read-alouds to the next level with games!

I love to use games in our homeschool as a way to have fun and practice skills. We all know that all board games work on math skills, but some are more mathy than others. Why not snuggle up with some hot cocoa and take the math theme to the next level with these fun games:

Now, it’s your turn. Tell me: What are your family’s favorite math picture book? Share here!