Picture books with mathematical content
This resource provides a list of picture books that contain mathematical content.
About this resource
Using picture books with mathematical content can be an effective way to engage students and explore problems within entertaining contexts. This list provides a number of picture books that contain mathematical content.
Picture books with mathematical content
Why use picture books in a maths class? Using picture books with mathematical content can be an effective way to engage students and explore problems within entertaining contexts.
The visual elements of a quality picture book can illustrate a concept in ways that may be hard to do with other resources. For example, the pictures of a hundred ants marching in different arrays as they try to pick up some speed to reach the picnic in One Hundred Hungry Ants by Elinor J. Princzes can be difficult to organise on the mat!
The use of a narrative supports problem solving as students have a reason within the story to solve and figure out. A picture book can be used as an introduction to a concept, as a launch pad to further explore an idea, or as a prompt for discussion and debate.
It is important to select books that are of high quality from both a literary and a mathematical perspective. Evaluate the mathematics within the book prior to sharing it with your students, and decide on some directions you are interested in following with questions or response activities.
Questions to help guide your selection of books to use within maths classes:
- Does the book present content that is mathematically sound and appropriate for the level of your students?
- Does the book provide opportunities to introduce or reinforce mathematical symbols and vocabulary?
- Is the book effective for supporting students to think and reason mathematically?
- Will the book help build students' appreciation of both mathematics and literature?
Download a spreadsheet of all picture books listed in this section as well as others that may now be out of print.
See Materials that come with this resource to download:
Picture books with mathematical content spreadsheet (.xlsx)
Level 1 number
Pete the Cat and His Four Groovy Buttons, by Eric Litwin
Visit Pete the Cat and His Four Groovy Buttons to see the activity based on this book.
Publisher: Harper, ISBN: 9780062110589
| Description | Pete the cat loses this buttons… or does he? Includes a very catchy song keeping track as the buttons pop off. |
|---|---|
| Mathematics | Subtraction to 5. |
Minnie's diner: A multiplying menu, by Dayle Ann Dodds
Visit Minnie's Diner: A Multiplying Menu to see the activity based on this book.
Publisher: Candlewick (2004), ISBN: 9780763633134
| Description | Through the repeated refrain of “Make it a double!” a family of brothers reveals the power of multiplication as they order from the menu at Minnie’s Diner. |
|---|---|
| Mathematics | Doubles. |
Equal Shmequal, by Virginia Kroll
Publisher: Charlesbridge, ISBN: 1570918929
Visit Equal Shmequal to see the activity based on this book.
| Description | A mouse explores what it means to be equal using the concept of balance. |
|---|---|
| Mathematics | Meanings of equals. |
Level 1 geometry
A Lion in the Night, by Pamela Allen
Visit A Lion in the Night to see the activity based on this book.
Publisher: Hodder and Stoughton, ISBN: 9780140509397
| Description | A lion steals a baby from the castle and takes her on a wild ride through the night. The members of the court have to follow the lion's path. |
|---|---|
| Mathematics | Directions and pathways. |
Level 1 measurement
Ernest, by Catherine Rayner
Visit Ernest to see the activity based on this book.
Publisher: MacMillan ISBN: 9780230712553
| Description | Ernest the Moose is TOOO big to fit in this regular size book and after many attempts to squish in, he and his friend come up with a solution: increase the area of the book. Now he fits perfectly. |
| Mathematics | Area and size. |
Guess How Much I Love You?, by Sam McBratney
Visit Guess How Much I Love You? to see the activity based on this book.
Publisher: Walker Books, ISBN: 9781406342864
| Description | Little Nut Brown Hare discovers it is difficult to measure love using his experiences with length and height. |
|---|---|
| Mathematics | Length and non-standard units. |
Level 1 statistics
Probably Pistachio, by Stuart J. Murphy
Visit Probably Pistachio to see the activity based on this book.
Publisher: HarperCollins, ISBN: 0064467341
| Description | Over the course of a day, Jack discovers the meanings of certain, likely, and possible. |
|---|---|
| Mathematics | Probability, vocabulary. |
Level 2 number
365 Penguins, by Jean-Luc Fromental and Joelle Jolivet
Visit 365 Penguins to see the activity based on this book.
Publisher: Abrams, ISBN: 9780810944602
| Description | On day one, a penguin turns up, and day by day the numbers grow. |
|---|---|
| Mathematics | Time, factors, grouping. |
The Biggest Number in the Universe, by Julie Leibrich
Visit The Biggest Number in the Universe to see the activity based on this book.
Publisher: Scholastic New Zealand, ISBN: 1869436024
| Description | A girl borrows a very large number from her neighbour to take to school with her, but it does not work out as she plans. |
|---|---|
| Mathematics | Different types of numbers. |
One Is a Snail, Ten Is a Crab: A Counting Feet Book, by April Pulley Sayre and Jeff Sayre
Visit One Is a Snail, Ten Is a Crab: A Counting Feet Book to see the activity based on this book.
Publisher: Walker (2004), ISBN: 1844281647
| Description | When you are counting by feet, then 1 is a snail, 2 is a person, and 4 is a dog! This book uses the number of feet on various animals as the unit by which numbers can be expressed. |
|---|---|
| Mathematics | Part whole and multiplicative thinking, number combinations. |
One Hundred Hungry Ants, by Elinor J. Pinczes
Visit One Hundred Hungry Ants to see the activity based on this book.
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin, ISBN: 9780395971239
| Description | A group of ants explores arrays for 100 as they try to find the fastest way to get to the picnic. |
|---|---|
| Mathematics | Multiplication, arrays. |
A Remainder of One, by Elinor J. Pinczes
Visit A Remainder of One to see the activity based on this book.
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin, ISBN: 9780618250776
| Description | A group of 25 marching bugs assemble themselves in various arrays, trying to get to even rows and not have a remainder. |
|---|---|
| Mathematics | Division, arrays. |
Mr Chicken Goes to Paris, by Leigh Hobbs
Visit Mr Chicken Goes to Paris to see the activity based on this book.
Publisher: Allen and Unwin, ISBN: 9781741757699
| Description | This hilarious story about Mr. Chicken going to Paris is full of incidental maths conversations. |
|---|---|
| Mathematics | Arrays, grouping. |
The Great Divide: A Mathematical Marathon, by Dayle Ann Dodds
Visit The Great Divide: A Mathematical Marathon to see the activity based on this book.
Publisher: Candlewick, ISBN: 9780763615925
| Description | 80 competitors begin a marathon. The number remaining is systematically halved until 5 remain. |
|---|---|
| Mathematics | Halving. |
How Much Is a Million?, by David Schwartz
Publisher: HarperCollins, ISBN: 9780688040499
| Description | The relative size of large numbers is explored with pictures and interesting facts. |
|---|---|
| Mathematics | Numbers 1 million to 1 trillion. |
The Warlord's Beads, by Virginia Walton Pilegard
Publisher: Pelican, ISBN: 1565548639
| Description | A story that describes the creation of an abacus as a way to manage a systematic count. |
|---|---|
| Mathematics | Counting, number systems, multiples. |
Spaghetti and Meatballs for All, by Marilyn Burns
Publisher: Scholastic, ISBN: 9780545044455
| Description | Mr and Mrs Comfort need to arrange the tables and chairs to ensure all their guests have a seat. |
|---|---|
| Mathematics | Division, multiplication, equal shares. |
Level 2 algebra
One Is a Snail, Ten Is a Crab: A Counting Feet Book, by April Pulley Sayre and Jeff Sayre
Visit One Is a Snail, Ten Is a Crab: A Counting Feet Book to see the activity based on this book.
Publisher: Walker (2004), ISBN: 1844281647
| Description | When you are counting by feet, then 1 is a snail, 2 is a person, and 4 is a dog! This book uses the number of feet on various animals as the unit by which numbers can be expressed. |
|---|---|
| Mathematics | Number patterns. |
Wild Fibonacci - Nature's secret revealed, by Joy Hulme
See Wild Fibonacci: Nature's Secret Revealed to see the activity based on this book.
Publisher: Tricycle Press, ISBN: 9781582463247
| Description | This is an introduction to the Fibonacci number sequence and its presence in the animal world, such as the curve of beaks and claws. |
|---|---|
| Mathematics | Number patterns. |
Level 2 geometry
The Greedy Triangle, by Marilyn Burns
Visit The Greedy Triangle to see the activity based on this book.
Publisher: Scholastic Paperbacks, ISBN: 9780545042208
| Description | A story about a triangle that wants to change its number of sides. |
|---|---|
| Mathematics | Features of shapes. |
My Map Book, by Sara Fanelli
Visit My Map Book to see the activity based on this book.
Publisher: Walker Books, ISBN: 9780060264550
| Description | A look at mapping from a variety of perspectives, including the neighbourhood, a family map, and a bedroom. |
| Mathematics | Maps. |
Level 2 measurement
Counting on Frank, by Rod Clement
Visit Counting on Frank to see the activity based on this book.
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (HMH), ISBN: 039570393X
| Description | A boy asks and answers questions such as, "How long a line will my ballpoint pen draw?" and "How many humpback whales would fit in my house?" |
| Mathematics | Measurement, enlargement. |
Diary of a Worm, by Doreen Cronin
Visit Diary of a Worm to see the activity based on this book
Publisher: Harper Collins, ISBN: 006000150X
| Description | A juvenile worm keeps a journal over several weeks documenting the events of his life. |
|---|---|
| Mathematics | Time, date, months. |
Level 2 statistics
Lemonade for Sale, by Stuart J. Murphy
Visit Lemonade for Sale to see the activity based on this book.
Publisher: HarperCollins, ISBN: 9780064467155
| Description | The kids club track the success of their lemonade stall by graphing their sales for a week. |
|---|---|
| Mathematics | Bar graphs. |
Level 3 number
On Beyond a Million, by David M. Schwartz
Visit On Beyond a Million to see the activity based on this book.
Publisher: Dragonfly Books, ISBN: 0440411777
| Description | This is a counting book based on the powers of ten. The place value house names are revealed as the powers climb. |
|---|---|
| Mathematics | Place value, large whole numbers. |
How Much Is a Million?, by David Schwartz
Visit How Much Is a Million? to see the activity based on this book.
Publisher: HarperCollins ISBN: 9780688040499
| Description | The relative size of large numbers is explored with pictures and interesting facts. |
| Mathematics | Numbers 1 million to 1 trillion. |
Math Curse, by Jon Scieszka and Lane Smith
Visit Maths Curse to see the activity based on this book.
Publisher: Viking Juvenile, ISBN: 9780670861941
| Description | A child sees the maths problems in everything in their daily life. |
|---|---|
| Mathematics | Problems linked to multiple aspects of mathematics. |
The Warlord's Beads, by Virginia Walton Pilegard
Publisher: Pelican, ISBN: 1565548639
Visit The Warlord's Beads to see the activity based on this book.
| Description | A story that describes the creation of an abacus as a way to manage a systematic count. |
|---|---|
| Mathematics | Counting, number systems, multiples. |
Spaghetti and Meatballs for all, by Marilyn Burns
Publisher: Scholastic, ISBN: 9780545044455
| Description | Mr and Mr. Comfort need to arrange the tables and chairs to ensure all their guests have a seat. |
|---|---|
| Mathematics | Division, multiplication, equal shares. |
The Great Divide: A Mathematical Marathon, by Dayle Ann Dodds
Visit The Great Divide: A Mathematical Marathon to see the activity based on this book.
Publisher: Candlewick, ISBN: 9780763615925
| Description | 80 competitors begin a marathon. The number remaining is systematically halved until 5 remain. |
|---|---|
| Mathematics | Halving. |
Level 3 algebra
Fifty-five feathers, by Ben Brown
Visit Fifty-Five Feathers to see the activity based on this book.
Publisher: Reed, ISBN: 9781869486839
| Description | Pukeko goes searching for donations from the other native birds to make a cloak for her friend Gecko. |
|---|---|
| Mathematics | Sums of number sequences. |
The Rabbit Problem, by Emily Gravett
Visit The Rabbit Problem to see the activity based on this book.
Publisher: Macmillan, ISBN: 9781442412552
| Description | The Fibonacci sequence is explored by a family of rabbits over the course of one year. |
|---|---|
| Mathematics | Number patterns. |
Level 3 geometry
The Warlord's Puzzle, by Virginia Walton Pilegard
Visit The Warlord’s Puzzle to see the activity based on this book.
Publisher: Pelican, ISBN: 1565544951
| Description | The geometric puzzle, the tangram, is explored in the context of a challenge issued by an ancient Chinese warlord to put a tile broken into 7 pieces back together again. |
|---|---|
| Mathematics | Shape. |
A Cloak for the Dreamer, by Aileen Friedman
Visit A Cloak for the Dreamer to see the activity based on this book.
Publisher: Scholastic Press, ISBN: 9780590489874
| Description | The tailor's three sons explore shapes that fit together as they make cloaks for the Archduke. |
|---|---|
| Mathematics | Tesselation. |
Re-Zoom, by Istvan Banyai
Publisher: Puffin, ISBN: 9780140556940
| Description | A wordless book that explores magnification and enlargement |
|---|---|
| Mathematics | Transformation. |
The Emperor's Army, by Virginia Walton Pilegard
Publisher: Pelican, ISBN: 1589806905
| Description | The discovery of the Terra-cotta Army provides the main character with the opportunity to uncover the mystery of its creation and explore the concept of volume. |
|---|---|
| Mathematics | Volume, space. |
The Warlord's Kites, by Virginia Walton Pilegard
Publisher: Pelican, ISBN: 1589801806
| Description | The characters use their understanding of how to calculate area as a way to create kites and frighten away an invading army. |
|---|---|
| Mathematics | Area, 2-D shape. |
Level 3 measurement
Belonging, by Jeannie Baker
Visit Belonging to see the activity based on this book.
Publisher: Walker Books, ISBN: 9781406305487
| Description | A wordless book that depicts the first 24 years of a person’s life, documenting the changes that occur within her room, her life, and outside in her community. |
|---|---|
| Mathematics | Time, years, decades. |
Counting on Frank, by Rod Clement
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (HMH), ISBN: 039570393X
| Description | A boy asks and answers questions such as "How long a line will my ballpoint pen draw?" and "How many humpback whales would fit in my house?" |
|---|---|
| Mathematics | Measurement, enlargement. |
The Emperor's Army, by Virginia Walton Pilegard
Publisher: Pelican, ISBN: 1589806905
| Description | The discovery of the Terra-cotta Army provides the main character with the opportunity to uncover the mystery of its creation and explore the concept of volume. |
|---|---|
| Mathematics | Volume, space. |
The Warlord's Kites, by Virginia Walton Pilegard
Publisher: Pelican, ISBN: 1589801806
| Description | The characters use their understanding of how to calculate area as a way to create kites and frighten away an invading army. |
|---|---|
| Mathematics | Area, 2-D shape. |
Level 3 statistics
Uno’s Garden, by Graeme Base
Visit Uno's Garden to see the activity based on this book.
Publisher: Penguin Viking, ISBN: 0670041912
| Description | Uno arrives in the forest and is surrounded by a diversity of animals and plants. As the human population grows in one pattern, it affects other populations in other patterns. |
|---|---|
| Mathematics | Populations. |
A Very Improbable Story, by Edward Einhorn
Visit A Very Improbable Story to see the activity based on this book.
Publisher: Charlesbridge, ISBN: 9781570918728
| Description | A humourous exploration of probability that happens when Ethan wakes up to find a cat on his head. Set up several investigations of odds and develop statistical vocabulary. |
|---|---|
| Mathematics | Probability and chance. |
Level 4 number
The Number Devil: A Mathematical Adventure, by Hans Magnus Enzensberger
Visit The Number Devil: A Mathematical Adventure to see the activity based on this book.
Publisher: Granta Books, ISBN: 9781862078284
| Description | Follow 12-year-old Robert as he battles with his attitude towards maths each night in his dreams as he is visited by the Number Devil. An illustrated novel that presents complex (and simple) mathematical concepts in engaging ways. |
|---|---|
| Mathematics | Number, algebra, sequence, prime, squares, decimals. |
Big Numbers, by Mary and John Gribbin
Visit Big Numbers to see the activity based on this book.
Publisher: Wizard Books, ISBN: 1840464313
| Description | An illustrated series of short non-fiction articles on topics involving very large and very small numbers. It all depends on what you’re measuring. |
|---|---|
| Mathematics | Measurement, large numbers, decimals, million, time size, distance. |
Math Curse, by Jon Scieszka and Lane Smith
Visit Maths Curse to see the activity based on this book.
Publisher: Viking Juvenile, ISBN: 9780670861941
| Description | A child sees the maths problems in everything in their daily life. |
|---|---|
| Mathematics | Problems linked to multiple aspects of mathematics. |
Level 4 algebra
The Rabbit Problem, by Emily Gravett
Visit The Rabbit Problem to see the activity based on this book.
Publisher: Macmillan, ISBN: 9781442412552
| Description | The Fibonacci sequence is explored by a family of rabbits over the course of one year. |
|---|---|
| Mathematics | Number patterns. |
Level 4 geometry
Re-Zoom, by Istvan Banyai
Visit Re-Zoom to see the activity based on this book.
Publisher: Puffin ISBN: 9780140556940
| Description | A wordless book that explores magnification and enlargement |
|---|---|
| Mathematics | Transformation. |
A Cloak for the Dreamer, by Aileen Friedman
Visit A Cloak for the Dreamer to see the activity based on this book.
Publisher: Scholastic Press, ISBN: 9780590489874
| Description | The tailor's three sons explore shapes that fit together as they make cloaks for the Archduke. |
|---|---|
| Mathematics | Tesselation. |
The Emperor's Army, by Virginia Walton Pilegard
Publisher: Pelican, ISBN: 1589806905
| Description | The discovery of the Terra-cotta Army provides the main character with the opportunity to uncover the mystery of its creation and explore the concept of volume. |
|---|---|
| Mathematics | Volume, space. |
The Warlord's Kites, by Virginia Walton Pilegard
Publisher: Pelican, ISBN: 1589801806
| Description | The characters use their understanding of how to calculate area as a way to create kites and frighten away an invading army. |
|---|---|
| Mathematics | Area, 2-D shape. |
Level 4 measurement
The Emperor's Army, by Virginia Walton Pilegard
Visit The Emperor's Army to see the activity based on this book.
Publisher: Pelican, ISBN: 1589806905
| Description | The discovery of the Terra-cotta Army provides the main character with the opportunity to uncover the mystery of its creation and explore the concept of volume. |
|---|---|
| Mathematics | Volume, space. |
The Warlord's Kites, by Virginia Walton Pilegard
Visit The Warlord's Kites to see the activity based on this book.
Publisher: Pelican, ISBN: 1589801806
| Description | The characters use their understanding of how to calculate area as a way to create kites and frighten away an invading army. |
|---|---|
| Mathematics | Area, 2-D shape. |
Level 4 statistics
If the World Was a Village: A Book About the World’s People, by David J. Smith
Visit If the World Was a Village: A Book About the World’s People to see the activity based on this book.
Publisher: Kids Can, ISBN: 1550747797
| Description | This book asks the reader to shrink that population to 100 people, a village, keeping the proportions intact, and imagine what the village looks like. |
|---|---|
| Mathematics | Populations, percentages. |
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