Sneak some math into your bedtime stories with these awesome counting stories! I love counting books! They are a fun way to incorporate math into preschoolers’ learning. For more counting fun, take a look at the I Spy worksheets (printable PDF) that I made. This post contains Affiliate links to books on Amazon. For more information, please see the disclaimer at the end of the post.
15 Counting Stories for Preschoolers:
1. Pete the Cat and His Four Groovy Buttons by Eric Litwin —
Pete the Cat and His Four Groovy Buttons is not only one of my favorites to read at the library’s preschool story-time, but it is one of my son’s favorites too. The book is set up in the call-and-response style, which makes it interactive and fun for both me and my son. You and your child will enjoy chanting along with Pete as his buttons pop off. This is one of the original Pete the Cat books (written by Eric Litwin) and it is much shorter and more sing-songy than the more recent ones written by James and Kimberly Dean.
2. The Mermaid Counting Book by Suzanne Diederen–
My son loves counting books and has so much fun looking for all of the objects on the page! In this adorable counting book, little Umi the mermaid explores her underwater world, counting shells and sea creatures. Each page has something new count as the reader makes their way from one to ten. Preschoolers will like the cute pictures and the rhyming text in this book.
3. 10 Apples Up On Top by Dr. Seuss —
This is one of my favorite counting stories! In this funny, rhyming book, a lion, a tiger, and a dog compete to see who can stack apples on their head and do tricks without the apples falling! While they keep trying to outdo each other, the animals inadvertently find themselves in a bear’s home. The bear is not happy with their shenanigans and chases them out. The animals run into more bears and more trouble. The bears chase the animals (who still have apples still stacked on their heads) into an apple cart! Now everyone has 10 apples up on top! Your child laugh at this silly story and enjoy the animals’ crazy antics.
4. 10 Fat Turkeys by Tony Johnson —
This is a very silly, rhyming, backwards counting story featuring turkeys! The humorous illustrations add to the turkeys’ goofy antics. Preschoolers will enjoy the 10 turkeys sitting on a fence countdown. They will love as the turkey’s roller-skate and swing from vines until the fence breaks and none of them are left.
5. Five Little Penguins Slipping on the Ice by Steve Metzger–
This book is a cute penguin version of the Five Little Monkeys. Preschoolers will love the rhyming, sing-songy story and vibrant illustrations. One by one, the little penguins get hurt and their mama has to call the doctor. Eventually no one is having any fun at all, until mama comes up with a new plan!
6. Five Little Sharks Swimming in the Sea by Steve Metzger–
This is a short, sing-songy book that is an ocean-take on the Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed. Just like the monkeys, the sharks are getting into trouble! They bump into manatees, bang their tails (ouch!), get lost, and worry their mom, who has to call the doctor over and over again. Don’t worry, the story ends with all of the five little sharks safe and sound and swimming happily.
7. Ten Magic Butterflies by Danica McKeller–
This lovely rhyming story has talking flowers, fairies, and butterflies, plus it incorporates counting! The flowers want to fly and ask the fairies for wings, so the fairies turn them into butterflies. They have a fun time flying about the night sky, but soon the butterflies realize that being themselves is best. The fairies change them back to flowers with more counting to ten and number groupings!
8. Ten Little Caterpillars by Bill Martin, Jr.–
Short, rhyming text by Martin paired with Lois Ehlert’s amazing pictures, makes this book a preschool favorite! Each of the ten caterpillars have a little adventure, but it’s the tenth caterpillar that has the most amazing of all. The tenth caterpillar turns into a butterfly!
9. Counting Creatures by Julia Donaldson–
Children will love this beautifully illustrated counting book! Each page shows a parent and its babies. Lift the flap to count the number of baby animals. As a bonus, your child will also learn terms for the various baby animals too.
10. 1, 2, 3, To the Zoo: a counting book by Eric Carle–
Hop aboard this train headed for the zoo! Each train car holds animals to count (numbers 1-10). The story ends with all of the animals home in the zoo. Count them again just to be sure!
11. 10 Busy Brooms by Carole Gerber–
Preschoolers will love the pictures of the witches flying past other “spooky” creatures like skeletons and mummies. The illustrations are bright and cheerful without being scary. Examine each picture closely and try and find the owl and cat hidden in every scene!
12. Ten Little Ladybugs by Melanie Green —
When my son was 3 years old, this was one of his favorite books! He still loves ladybugs. This book hits all of a preschooler’s requirements for an entertaining read–it has a rhyming story, bright pictures, and stuff to touch! The story starts with 10 ladybugs, but one by one, they wander off. Read this and find out where they are all going.
13. Ten on the Sled by Kim Norman–
This rhyming, sing-song story follows the pattern of the Ten on the Bed song. The caribou has a sled and soon his nine snow-loving friends join him for a sled ride. One by one, the animals fall off and they form a giant snowball. The animals race the giant snowball down the hill, losing friends as they go. By the bottom of the hill, only the caribou is left on the sled. Your little one will giggle as wolf wipes out and fox flips out of the sled. Caribou is lonely and he invites all of his friends to join for another sled ride!
14. 1 Zany Zoo by Lori Degman–
This book is so much fun! Find out what happens at the zoo before all of the people arrive. The excitement and silliness from the rhyming text and the bold, emotive illustrations make this book lots of fun to read. Not only does the reader get to learn the names of animals at the zoo, but we get to count along too! Your preschooler is going to ask to read this one over and over again!
15. One Fox: a counting book thriller by Kate Read–
This book had my son’s full attention! A sneaky fox is making its way to the hen house. The story starts with 1 sly fox, then shows 2 eyes, followed by 3 plump hens. My son was practically on the edge of his seat as the fox enters the hen house. The story makes it up to 10 before the fox is chased away. Phew, the hens are safe! The book ends with a disclaimer that no foxes or hens were harmed in the making of this book. This story is masterfully told with sparse, but strategic words and great pictures.
Disclaimer
Check your library for these and other counting stories. To help cover the costs of this site, I joined Amazon’s Affiliate program. If you buy a book through one of my links, then I may get a small percentage of the sale (at no additional cost to you). Thank you for your support! Happy Reading!