The books in this list can be used in the Early Years to explore different aspects of number. You can see other collections of books, including the full list of books recommended by the NRICH team, on our Bookcase Maths page.
Dog's Colourful Day
Dog is white with one black spot on his left ear. Throughout the day, Dog gets very messy, and by the end he is covered with lots of different coloured spots! Can you count them all?
Abigail
One to Ten and Back Again
Mouse Count
Ten Black Dots
Maisy Goes Camping
I Spy Numbers
One Is a Snail, Ten Is a Crab
This 'counting by feet' book offers opportunities to focus on counting and introduce multiplication with its entertaining illustrations.
The Doorbell Rang
Ma has made plenty of cookies for her children, but then the doorbell rings. And rings... And rings... This book is perfect for discussing sharing equally.
The Shopping Basket
With Steven having to fend off various animals on his way back from the shops, he arrives home with fewer items than his mum requested. This book is a great context in which to count, and in particular to talk about 'one less'.
Handa's Surprise
Handa carries a basket of seven different fruits to her friend. As she makes her journey, seven different animals each steal a fruit from her basket! This richly illustrated book is an engaging context in which children can explore the concept of 'one less'.
The Very Hungry Caterpillar
The Great Pet Sale
This book tells the story of a pet shop where lots of animals are for sale at a variety of prices - but which will the boy choose?
Who Sank the Boat?
How Big is a Million?
Pipkin is a small penguin who asks big questions. He wants to know how big a million is! He finds ten fish, a hundred penguins in a huddle and a thousand snowflakes... but will he find a million of anything?
Billy’s Bucket
Anno's Counting Book
Explore how a village changes over twelve seasons in this beautiful watercolour counting book.
Handa's Hen
Ten Apples Up On Top
In this captivating rhyming story, a dog, a lion and a tiger all try to balance ten apples on their heads while tightrope walking and roller skating!
One Gorilla: A Counting Book
Pete the Cat and His Four Groovy Buttons
Pete the cat wears his favourite shirt with four groovy buttons. But what happens when one of the buttons pops off and rolls away? This story introduces children to subtraction number sentences.
Ten Little Fingers and Ten Little Toes
Kipper's Toybox
Kipper counts out all of his favourite toys, but the number he gets isn't the number he was expecting... are all of Kipper's favourite toys in the box?
