Welcome to the Read Aloud Classroom where we’re making picture books work for you even with a packed schedule. Hi, I’m Sarah, an educator who believes in the power of read alouds to transform your teaching without adding to our already full plates.
Today we’re talking about something that might make you pause for just a second—using picture books to teach math. I know, I know. You’re thinking, “Sarah, I barely have enough time to fit in all my math lessons as it is!” But here’s the thing—picture books aren’t taking time away from your math instruction. They’re actually making it more powerful and memorable for your students.
Picture books have this amazing ability to make abstract math concepts concrete and visual. They give students a story to hang those tricky math ideas on, and let’s be honest—stories stick in our brains way better than isolated facts and procedures. Plus, you’re hitting multiple learning styles at once and creating those magical “aha!” moments we all live for.
So today, I’m sharing ten fantastic picture books that will transform your math lessons from routine to remarkable. I’ve organized them by math concept, and I promise—these aren’t just books with numbers in them. These are carefully chosen titles that genuinely support mathematical thinking and understanding.
Let’s start with counting and number operations—because these concepts are foundational for so many of our students.
First up is “The Grapes of Math” by Greg Tang. This clever book uses rhyming couplets, riddles, and visual clues to help students find new ways to group numbers for quick counting. Instead of counting one by one, Tang challenges students to look for patterns and combinations that make counting faster and more efficient. This is perfect as a warm-up before any counting activity, and your students will love the interactive nature—they can count along and share their strategies for grouping. It’s a fantastic way to build number sense and introduce the idea that there are multiple ways to approach mathematical problems.
Next is “The Action of Subtraction” by Brian P. Cleary. This funny, rhyming book introduces all the terminology students need as they learn subtraction. Cleary has this wonderful way of making math vocabulary accessible through humor and rhythm. Read this before you introduce subtraction terms like “minuend” and “subtrahend”—your students will actually remember these words because they heard them in such an engaging context first.
For our time and measurement concepts, “The Grouchy Ladybug” by Eric Carle is absolutely perfect. As students follow this bad-tempered ladybug through her day, they’re learning about time, size, and shape comparison. I love using this when teaching students how to tell time—the ladybug meets different animals at different times throughout the day, so you’re getting natural practice with hour recognition. Plus, it’s Eric Carle, so you know the illustrations are going to captivate your students completely.
Now let’s talk division, and this is where “The Great Divide” by Dayle Ann Dodds really shines. This book features a cross-country race where participants are gradually left behind and the group gets divided again and again. Dodds gives us a blow-by-blow account of this exciting race, and students are seeing division happen naturally through the story. It’s perfect for any lesson about sharing or as a division warm-up for your older students. The story context makes division feel less abstract and more like a natural part of problem-solving.
Moving into addition and pattern recognition, we have another Greg Tang masterpiece—”Math for All Seasons.” This book challenges students to find sums without counting one by one, encouraging them to look for patterns, symmetry, and familiar number combinations within beautiful, eye-catching pictures. It’s fantastic for multiplication lessons too, because students are seeing how grouping and patterns make math easier and more efficient. Tang has this gift for making students feel like mathematical detectives.
“One Hundred Hungry Ants” by Elinor Pinczes is wonderful for place value concepts. We follow these ants as they march in different formations to reach a picnic, and students see how rearranging positions can represent different quantities. The ants start marching single file, but then reorganize into two rows of 50, then four rows of 25—it’s division and place value all wrapped up in this delightful story about hungry ants rushing to a picnic.
Now for fractions—and I have three fantastic options for you here. “Apple Fractions” by Jerry Pallotta uses different varieties of apples to demonstrate halves, thirds, fourths, and more. What I love about this book is that it connects math to real life in such a natural way. Students learn about apple varieties while seeing fractions in action, and the colorful illustrations make the concepts completely visual and concrete.
“Full House: An Invitation to Fractions” by Dayle Ann Dodds tells the story of Miss Bloom who runs the Strawberry Inn. Throughout the day she welcomes hilarious characters until all the rooms are taken—it’s a full house! But in the middle of the night, everyone’s downstairs sharing cake, and students discover that one cake divided by five guests and one hostess equals a perfect midnight snack. It’s fractions through storytelling at its finest.
For understanding really large numbers, “How Much is a Million?” by David Schwartz helps students grasp the magnitude of big numbers through relatable comparisons and visuals. While it’s not solely about place value, it gives students a real sense of what these large numbers actually mean. Marvelosissimo the mathematical magician provides comparisons that help children conceptualize these difficult mathematical concepts in ways that stick.
Finally, we have “7 Ate 9” by Tara Lazar, which is perfect for word problems and basic arithmetic. This laugh-out-loud math mystery follows the number 6, who’s worried because everyone knows 7 is always after him—especially since word on the street is that 7 ate 9! Private I is on the case to solve this numerical mystery. Your students will be practicing basic arithmetic without even realizing it because they’re so caught up in this clever, funny story.
Here’s what I love most about using these books in math—they create context and meaning around mathematical concepts. Instead of just teaching procedures, you’re helping students understand why math matters and how it connects to stories and real life. These books turn your math lessons into experiences your students will actually remember.
A few quick implementation tips: Read these books before you dive into the mathematical concept, not after. Let the story create curiosity and set the stage for learning. Encourage students to make predictions and share their thinking during the reading. And don’t worry about covering every mathematical detail in the book during your first read—sometimes just planting the seeds of mathematical thinking is enough.
The best part? All of these titles will be listed in the show notes with links to help you find them. You don’t need all ten at once—pick one that aligns with what you’re teaching next week and give it a try. I think you’ll be amazed at how engaged your students become when math has a story attached to it.
Picture books aren’t taking time away from your math instruction—they’re making every minute of that instruction more powerful, more memorable, and honestly, more fun for both you and your students. And in today’s classroom, we need all the engagement tools we can get!
Thanks for joining me today in the Read Aloud Classroom. I’d love to hear which of these books you try first and how your students respond! Until next time, keep making those read aloud moments magical.
