The books in this list can be used across the Primary years to explore different aspects of shape and space. You can see other collections of books, including the full list of books recommended by the NRICH team, on our Bookcase Maths page.
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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?
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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!
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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!
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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?
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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.
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The Phantom Tollbooth
In this story, Milo goes on an adventure to the strange lands of Dictionopolis and Digitopolis - but can he rescue Rhyme and Reason so that everything starts making sense again?
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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?
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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!