The books in this list can be used in Key Stage 1 to explore a variety of different mathematical topics. You can see other collections of books, including the full list of books recommended by the NRICH team, on our Bookcase Maths page.

Five Minutes' Peace
Mrs Large the elephant wants five minutes' peace away from her three children... but they keep interrupting her!

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?

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?

The Bad-Tempered Ladybird
The bad-tempered ladybird tries to fight bigger and bigger animals throughout the day - but will it win a fight against the biggest animal of all?

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!

Balancing Act
This book builds on children's experience of seesaws and balancing. Join the two mice who make a seesaw (or teeter totter) and see what happens as their friends hop on too.

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.

Walter's Wonderful Web
Walter the spider wants to spin a perfect web, so he tries making webs of different shapes and sizes. Will he end up with a wonderful web?

The Secret Birthday Message
On the night before Tim's birthday, he finds a secret message under his pillow! Can you work out what the different shapes in the message mean to help Tim find his birthday present?

Color Zoo
When we turn the page to remove a layer, what animal will the picture show now? And what shape will be removed? Have a look at the colour zoo to find out!

Grandpa's Quilt
Grandpa is so long and thin that his quilt doesn't cover his toes. This story tells of his grandchildren's attempts to change the shape of the quilt so he is toasty from head to foot.

Lucy in the City
Lucy the raccoon is in the city one night looking for food with her family. But when they leave her behind by mistake, she has to find her way home with the help of a friendly owl who gives her directions.

Henry's Map
Henry the pig likes knowing exactly where everything is. But when he looks out of the window, the farm is a mess! Follow Henry's story as he draws a map to show where everything in the farm should be.

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'.

Katie Morag and the Birthdays
In January there is a special day on the Isle of Struay - it is Flora Ann McColl's first birthday. Katie Morag is very excited, but she can't help asking, "When will it be MY birthday?" Follow the story through the different months of the year to find out when Katie Morag's birthday is.

Spaghetti and Meatballs for All!
Mr and Mrs Comfort have a total of 32 people coming to their family reunion - but how should they arrange the tables so that there is room for everyone?

365 Penguins
On the morning of New Year's Day, a delivery arrives. When the box is opened, it turns out there's a penguin inside! Every day for the rest of the year, a new penguin is delivered, which causes the family some problems...

Einstein, The Girl Who Hated Maths
Einstein is a girl who hates maths, but she likes cats - and it turns out maths can be useful in lots of situations, including calculating how many lives her cats have! This book contains a variety of different poems, both about Einstein and about lots of other mathematical ideas.