Math: picture books are GREAT learning fun!

Here are some great picture books we've been using lately to reinforce math concepts. Check these out and I'm sure you'll agree that this is a great way to learn maths!

Kroll, Virginia – Equal Shmequal – equal is more than just the same number and this book helps kids realize that even numbers don’t always make even teams as some forest animals try to have create equal teams for tug-a-war! Very cute and great way to open discussion on concept of “equal” (including an author’s note at the end that explains “equal” from different views: artist, lawyers, sports, mathematicians)
Time Life Editors – Right in Your Own Backyard: Nature Math – filled with lots of puzzles, interesting facts and activities, this book links math with nature! Covers all the basic concepts in a fun, easy way.
Hewavisenti, Lakshmi – Shapes and Solids: with games and puzzles – great overview (with fun projects) for learning all about shapes and solids (tessellations, reflectiosn, moebius strips, tangrams, etc.)
Kohl, Herbert – Insides, Outsides, Loops and Lines – now this is a fun book for exploring closed and open shapes made completely with lines; lots of great games and activities for all ages.
Micklethwait, Lucy – I Spy Shapes in Art – this is another great art book for kids from Micklethwait. Here, the focus is on regular geometric shapes (so, the 14 paintings are primarily modern art) and the kids can really investigate these individual paintings looking for the shape to “spy” and also looking for other shapes in the paintings. Great cross-curriculum stuff here!
Neuschwander, Cindy – Sir Cumference and the First Round Table: A Math Adventure – tells the tale of how to create other regular shapes from a rectangle as well as a description of diameter, radius and circumference.
Neuschwander, Cindy – Sir Cumference and the Dragon of Pi: A Math Adventure – tells the tale of Pi and proves the measurement is always 3.14159…...
Neuschwander, Cindy – Sir Cumference and the Great Knight of Angleland: A Math Adventure – tells the tale of how to measure angles and describes acute, right, obtuse and straight angles.
Neuschwander, Cindy – Sir Cumference and the Sword in the Cone: A Math Adventure – tells the tale of how to create other regular shapes from a rectangle as well as a description of diameter, radius and Euler’s Law that says that any straight-sided, solid shape that, if the numbers of faces on a solid is added to the number of points (or vertices), then subtracted from the number of its edges, the answer will ALWAYS be two – works for every polyhedron.
Neuschwander, Cindy – Sir Cumference and the Isle of Immeter: A Math Adventure – tells the tale of Per and her cousin Radius and their discovery that an area of a circle equals half the circumference times the radius (also, area = pi x radius-squared).
Pluckrose, Henry – Math Counts: Shape – cute picture book about regular geometric shapes and looking for (and finding) them everywhere.
Reisberg, Joanne – Zachary Zormer Shape Transformer – when measuring perimeter, Zack teaches the class about moebius strips, expanding frame and increasing the size of light. This is a fun book – the kids really got into stumping dad with the doubled length of the moebius and the five-times-larger frame!
Wilson, John – Mosaic and Tessellated Patterns: How to Create Them – this is a great Dover book that gives wonderful illustrations of tessellation and mosaic patterns (with great overviews of how to create a myriad of designs). The book includes 32 “plates” to color … which copy wonderfully so you can color, and color and color!