Living Math Books

I love this list of “Living” math books, books that are fun to read and teach a math concept!

In the very early elementary years I did math though “living,” rather than following a textbook curriculum.   (A website that gives some great resources for this method of teaching is LivingMath.net. and an explanation of why we’re doing it this way may be found here.)

I followed this informal approach to math until the kids were about 3rd grade.  I’m was amazed at how much my kids understand about math.  I’m convinced that they will understand and enjoy math far more than I ever did!  

Disclosure: I get commissions for purchases made through affiliate links in this post.

Here are some Living Math Books:

Counting
Anno, Mitsumasa. Anno’s Counting Book
Carter, David A. How Many Bugs in a Box
Crowther, Robert. The Most Amazing Hide-and-Seek Counting Book
Feelings, Muriel. Moja Means One: Swahili Counting Book
Lindbergh, Reeve. The Midnight Farm
Carle, Eric. 1, 2, 3, to the Zoo
Sayre, April. One Is a Snail, Ten is a Crab

Addition
10 For Dinner -Bogart, Jo Ellen
12 Ways to Get to 11-Merriam, Eve
Annie’s One to Ten– Owen, Annie
Each Orange Had Eight Slices-Gianti, Paul
Going Up!-Sis, Peter
Henny Penny
Numbers-Allen, Robert
Rooster’s Off to See the World-Carle, Eric
The Great Big Enormous Turnip-Tolstoi, Alexei
The House that Jack Built
There Was an Old Woman Who Swallowed a Fly

Subtraction
10 Little Elephants-Leydenfrost, Robert
Anno’s Counting House
Bea’s 4 Bears-Weston, Maria
Jack and the Beanstalk
Mr. Grumpy’s Outing-Burningham, John
Pancakes for Breakfast-de Paola, Tomi
Roll Over! A Counting Song-Peek, Merle
The Last Puppy-Asch, Frank
There Were 10 in the Bed

Multiplication
Bunches and Bunches of Bunnies-Mathews, L
School Bus-Crews, Donald

Fractions
A-Apple Pie-Greenway, Kate
Eating Fractions-McMillan, Bruce
Half a Moon and One Whole Star-Dragonwagon, Crescent
The Doorbell Rang-Hutchins, Pat
The Half-Birthday Party-Pomerantz, Charlotte

Geometry
8 Hands Round:A Patchwork Alphabet-Paul, Ann Withford
All Kinds of Signs-Reit, Seymour
Boxes! Boxes!-Fisher, Leonard
Building a House-Barton, Byron
Changes, Changes-Hutchins, Pat
Circles, Triangles, and Squares-Hoban, Tana
Four Pigs and a Bee-Melville, HEather
Frosted Glass-Cazat, Denys
Galimoto-Williams, Karen Lynn
Grandfather Tang’s Story– Tompert, Ann
If You Look Around You-Testa, Fulvio
Listen to a Shape. Franklin Watts– Brown, Marcia
Little Blue & Little Yellow-Lionni, Leo
Look! Look! Look! -Hoban, Tana
Round is a Pancake-Sullivan, Joan
Shapes and Things-Hoban, Tana
Shapes, Shapes, Shapes-Hoban, Tana
Shapes: How Do You Say It?-Dunham, Meredith
Shapes-Pienkowski, Jan
The Little Wood Duck-Wildsmith, Brian
The Paper Crane-Bang, Molly
The Patchwork Quilt-Flournoy, Valerie
The Shapes Game-Rogers, Paul
The Train to Grandma’s-Gantschev, Ivan
The Trip-Keats, Ezra Jack
The Wing on a Flea-Emberly, Ed
Wheel Away-Dodds, Dayle Anne
Wilbur Worm-Hales, Richard and Nicky

Estimation
Munsch, Robert. Moira’s Birthday

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