The books in this list can be used in the Early Years to explore a variety of different areas of mathematics. You can see other collections of books, including the full list of books recommended by the NRICH team, on our Bookcase Maths page.
book
Ages
3-5
The Very Hungry Caterpillar
In this engaging classic picture book, children are invited to use their fingers to explore the numbers up to five.
book
Ages
3-5
I Spy Numbers
In this book, each photograph contains a big numeral from 1 to 9 surrounded by lots of small objects. Can you see how each object is related to the number in the middle?
book
Ages
3-5
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'.
book
Ages
3-5
Who Sank the Boat?
In this book, five animals get into a boat - but which animal causes the boat to sink?
book
Ages
3-5
Billy’s Bucket
Billy can see all kinds of amazing things in his bucket, including seven sea lions and a walrus. His parents think he just has a big imagination - but when they borrow his bucket, they're in for a surprise!
book
Ages
3-5
Handa's Hen
Handa's hen has gone missing! While she's looking for her hen, Handa finds lots of groups of animals that she can count - two butterflies, three mice, four lizards...
book
Ages
3-5
One Gorilla: A Counting Book
One gorilla, two orangutans, three chimpanzees... This counting to ten book focuses on members of the primate family.
book
Ages
3-5
Ten Little Fingers and Ten Little Toes
This book offers a context in which to count to 10 using pictures of children from all over the world, as well as the reader's own fingers and toes.
book
Ages
3-5
Ten Terrible Dinosaurs
Ten terrible dinosaurs standing in a line, soon began to mess about, until there were... nine! Find out what happens as the dinosaurs leave, one by one, until there is just one dinosaur left.
book
Ages
3-5
Anno’s Counting Book
Explore how a village changes over twelve seasons in this beautiful watercolour counting book.
book
Ages
3-5
Abigail
Abigail loves to count. She tries to count the dots on the ladybug and the zebra's stripes, but they won't stay still! Will Abigail find something she can count?
book
Ages
3-5
One to Ten and Back Again
The colourful pictures in this book tell the story of two friends, Nick and Sue, who show us all their favourite things by counting them from one to ten and back.
book
Ages
3-5
Titch
Titch is smaller than Mary and Pete, and everything he has is smaller than theirs too. But then Titch plants a seed...
book
Ages
3-5
Mouse Count
One fine day, ten little mice took a nap in a meadow. Along came a hungry snake, who counted the mice into a jar for his dinner. How will the mice escape?
book
Ages
3-5
Biscuit Bear
When Horace bakes a biscuit in the shape of a bear, it comes alive in the night! Then Biscuit Bear decides to bake some friends...
book
Ages
3-5
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?
book
Ages
3-5
Dear Zoo
This humorous lift-the-flap book provides opportunities for conversations about size as the perfect pet is sought.
book
Ages
3-5
Dog’s Colorful 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?
book
Ages
3-5
Cook it!
What's for dinner? Will you help me choose? Follow the story of one family cooking dinner, all the way from making a list and going to the shops to putting the food in the oven and eating it.
book
Ages
3-5
Ten Black Dots
What can you do with ten black dots? Lots of things! Follow the pictures and count the dots in each one, all the way up to ten.
book
Ages
3-5
Rosie’s Walk
This simple but captivating story uses positional language to describe Rosie the hen's walk. Rosie is wonderfully oblivious to the fact she is being pursued!
book
Ages
3-5
Maisy Goes Camping
Maisy and her friends put up a tent to go camping in. But how many of them can fit in the tent at once?