Here are 100 books that Animals by the Numbers fans have personally recommended if you like
Animals by the Numbers.
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I am a former primary teacher, now a gardener and more recently an author of children’s books–maths features heavily in my writing! My love of maths began when I started teaching it and really took off when I explored maths alongside the concept of Growth Mindsets. Through much study I found that the majority of children can access a good level of maths by adopting a Growth Mindset. Maths is a fascinating subject area, full of beauty and patterns, complexity and wonder; hopefully, over the years, I have inspired at least a few children to feel the same.
I love this book for the same reason that I loved the 1970s TV series of the same name: Johnny Ball loves maths, and his infectious enthusiasm for the subject is enough to make the most reluctant mathematician raise a smile.
This book delves into the history of maths and ancient peoples from all over the world. It shows how ridiculously complicated our daily lives would be without some way of counting and generally shows maths to be magical, fascinating, and sometimes funny!
Maths isn't just about sums and calculations, number can take you anywhere. With Think of a Number you'll explore a fantastic world of wonder that is full of surprises. Join Johnny Ball on a dazzling adventure to infinity and beyond -crack codes, unravel mazes and discover why finding a prime number could make you a millionaire. Test your friends with magic tricks and mind-reading techniques and find out about the simple puzzles that stumped the world's brainiest mathematicians for centuries. Think maths is boring? Think again!
In a time of alternative facts and the loss of a shared sense of reality, A Foot is Not a Fish playfully illustrates the difference between what is true and what is not through absurd fun comparisons that every child—and parent—will instantly understand.
I am a former primary teacher, now a gardener and more recently an author of children’s books–maths features heavily in my writing! My love of maths began when I started teaching it and really took off when I explored maths alongside the concept of Growth Mindsets. Through much study I found that the majority of children can access a good level of maths by adopting a Growth Mindset. Maths is a fascinating subject area, full of beauty and patterns, complexity and wonder; hopefully, over the years, I have inspired at least a few children to feel the same.
I love this book because it completely changed the way I think about the way children learn maths and made me acknowledge the infinite potential that every child (and adult) has to grow and improve their maths thinking.
This book played a huge part in me leading a change in the last school I taught in, where children were seated in mixed achieving groups (no more bottom, middle, or top tables!) and were able to choose their own level of tasks in maths.
The reaction of all the children was so positive, and the increase in their enthusiasm, engagement, and achievement in maths was incredibly heartening. So thank you, Jo Boaler!
'Well-researched and provides positive solutions' Times Educational Supplement
In The Elephant in the Classroom, Jo Boaler outlines what has gone wrong in mathematics education, identifying the problems facing children in classrooms today. How can children be prepared for the mathematics they will need in the future? They need to be taught to be quantitatively literate, to think flexibly and creatively and how to problem solve.
Jo Boaler offers concrete solutions for parents and teachers that will revolutionise children's experience with maths. Along with practical teaching activities, strategies and questions that can transform a…
I am a former primary teacher, now a gardener and more recently an author of children’s books–maths features heavily in my writing! My love of maths began when I started teaching it and really took off when I explored maths alongside the concept of Growth Mindsets. Through much study I found that the majority of children can access a good level of maths by adopting a Growth Mindset. Maths is a fascinating subject area, full of beauty and patterns, complexity and wonder; hopefully, over the years, I have inspired at least a few children to feel the same.
I love this book because it involves delicious rhymes, bewildered teachers and backward counting. It’s ideal for children who are learning to count up to and backward from ten. An example of the rhyming pattern:
‘Six delicious teachers, stalking through the grass,
Singing songs and waving sticks and marching extra fast.’
The illustrations of the monsters and teachers are as comedic as the story; it’s a great romp of an adventure with a satisfying twist to finish.
An irreverent and zany counting book that is gently thrilling and written in a deliciously infectious rhyme with witty and whimsical illustrations.
Ten silly teachers have missed the last bus home. But LOOK - a shortcut through the forest! They'll be back in time for tea! Off they skip, unaware that in the woods a hungry horde of mischievous and hilariously goofy monsters is waiting... An irreverent and zany counting book that is gently thrilling with witty and whimsical illustrations.
I am a former primary teacher, now a gardener and more recently an author of children’s books–maths features heavily in my writing! My love of maths began when I started teaching it and really took off when I explored maths alongside the concept of Growth Mindsets. Through much study I found that the majority of children can access a good level of maths by adopting a Growth Mindset. Maths is a fascinating subject area, full of beauty and patterns, complexity and wonder; hopefully, over the years, I have inspired at least a few children to feel the same.
I love this book for its inventive way of making a potentially hum-drum area of maths (place value) into a problem-solving adventure. An ever-increasing number of party guests threatens to scupper the organization of the royal catering team until someone has the genius idea of corralling everyone into groups of tens, hundreds, and even thousands as more and more people arrive.
The combination of medieval royalty, a comedy crisis, and expressive illustrations carry the reader along, with the maths being an essential part of the problem-solving and eventually saving the day (naturally!)
Join Sir Cumference and the gang for more wordplay, puns, and problem solving in the clever math adventure about place-value and counting by tens. Sir Cumference and Lady Di planned a surprise birthday party for King Arthur, but they didn’t expect so many guests to show up. How many lunches will they need? And with more guests arriving by the minute, what about dinner? Sir Cumference and Lady Di count guests by tens, hundreds, and even thousands to help young readers learn place-value. Fans will love this new installment of the Sir Cumference series that makes math fun and accessible…
As an internationally respected discipline expert, I guide parents in how to get more compliance than defiance from their little ones. I coined the phrase “The Dance of Non-Compliance” between parent and child. In order to change the dance, the parent will usually have to change his/her dance step first. It is often impossible during the heat of the moment, to teach ‘the lesson’ to the child due to the agitated emotional state of both parent and child. A well-executed picture book, appropriately written and illustrated for young children's developmental thinking ability, can open the door for a meaningful discussion regarding their misbehavior and feelings.
This is a wonderful tale about an armadillo, who loves to hide and spy on other animals and tell tall tales (lies) about what he hears. Cute fable of sorts on why the armadillo has such small ears. The book claims he started with very tall ears and every time he eavesdropped in other’s conversations, his ears got smaller. As a preschool teacher and grandmother, I encourage the children to “tell” us adults what is happening to get someone OUT of trouble, rather than to “tattle” on someone to get them IN trouble, which is not helpful. Through lyrical text and vivid illustrations, children learn that it is important to respect the privacy of others and avoid telling lies that hurt feelings.
What happens when your ears are too big for your head? Helen Ketteman's endearing tale of how the Armadillo came to have small ears reminds youngsters and oldsters alike to listen with care. With memorably quirky illustrations by Keith Graves.
My parents were both born and raised in Japan but met in New York and eventually settled in Los Angeles, where I grew up. My first language was Japanese and as a nisei (second generation), I am deeply steeped in my Asian heritage. I am continually inspired by the art and storytelling that originates from Japanese culture and love to incorporate them into my own work.
All the books I’m drawn to have striking and beautiful illustrations and this one is no exception. I love the joyful and varied way that friendship is expressed in this board book. I purchased the book when my daughter was still in preschool (she’s in high school now), and the message of finding camaraderie in as many places as possible still resonates deeply.
4.5 billion years ago, Earth was forming - but nothing could have survived there…
From Cells to Ourselves is the incredible story of how life on earth started and how it gradually evolved from the first simple cells to the abundance of life around us today. Walk with dinosaurs, analyse…
Ever since my parents gave me a copy of Dorothy Aldis’ The Secret Place and Other Poems, I have enjoyed a lifelong love of poetry. Now, as a traditionally-published children’s author, I have had numerous books and poems published over the years, including books that began as poems, like Flashlight Night (Astra Young Readers, 2017) and Once Upon Another Time (Beaming Books, 2021). My poems can be found in various anthologies including The National Geographic Book of Nature Poetry (N.G. Children’s Books, 2015) and Construction People (Wordsong, 2020) as well as Highlights for Children magazine.
This book proves that poetry is thoughtful, succinct, and beautiful to read – and most importantly, accessible to all. From elephants and cheetahs to American bison and polar bears, David distills the essence of each animal into short poems that are brimming with insight and wit. While all of David’s books in this series are wonderful, In the Wild was one of the first and remains one of the best.
“A stunning combination of poems and illustrations celebrating some of Earth’s wildest and most beautiful creatures.” — Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
The stellar team who brought us On the Farm presents a companion book evoking creatures of the wild in simple, clever poems and vibrant woodcuts. From the lion standing alone on the African savannah to the panda in a bamboo forest, from the rhinoceros with its boot-like face to the Arctic polar bear disappearing in the snow, David Elliott’s pithy verse and Holly Meade’s stunning woodcut and watercolor illustrations reveal a world of remarkable beauty and wonder.
I’m a Sibert Honor author and write books for kids and teens about nature. Part biography, part science adventure, my books introduce readers to real scientists and the unexpected twists and turns of their discoveries. The more I research the more I discover hidden connections to our natural world that humble me and fill me with gratitude. I do my best to share these connections with readers in an accurate, truthful way to help them find their own “ah-ha” moments in life. I want them to say, “I can do this, too!”
This book challenges kids to get outside and observe the wildlife in their own communities—the BEST way to connect to nature. Written as a field guide, this book is meant to be shoved in a backpack and consulted on the trail. Mary Kay Carson shows kids how to record observations in a nature journal and includes many projects with materials found around the house. Before you know it, your kids will be local wildlife experts. When kids understand nature, they care about it, and when they care, they protect it.
Kids can make the world better for wild animals, starting right in their own backyards! With hands-on activities, from a Wildlife Spotting Fort to a Sand Print Track Trap, along with habitat projects and wildlife field guides, this book teaches young nature observers how identify which animals live nearby. DIY projects such as making a Frog Pond out of a kiddie pool, planting a pollinator garden for bees, painting a bat house, and building a lodge for lizards help kids create a welcome haven for animal friends. Throughout the book, habitat maps and fun facts profile 84 North American wildlife…
I’ve been passionate about teaching kindness and good manners since becoming a parent. Raising three energetic kids has shown me firsthand how small lessons in empathy and respect can shape their world. At first, I created fun stories to help my children understand the power of simple words like "please" and "thank you." Now, as a children’s book author, I bring those lessons to life through storytelling, making manners and values fun and memorable. The books on this list have inspired me in my journey, and I hope they bring the same joy and guidance to you and your little ones!
I love this one because it beautifully illustrates the unbreakable bond between a mother and her son. Every page is filled with heartfelt reminders of the little moments that shape a lifetime, making me reflect on the special role a mother plays in guiding, supporting, and loving her child unconditionally.
What makes this book truly special to me is the way it captures both the simple joys and the deep, meaningful lessons that mothers pass on. The touching words and warm illustrations make it a book I want to share with families again and again. It’s a reminder of the love, wisdom, and strength that mothers give so freely, and it left me feeling both grateful and nostalgic.
Based on Gregory Lang's New York Times bestselling original series! The perfect Mother's Day gift, birthday present for mom, or sweet keepsake to show why Mom is so special! A touching picture book showcasing all the ways a mother will help her son grow, this is the gift for every mom and little boy to celebrate their special bond. Featuring charming animal illustrations and heartwarming rhymes about the loving moments mothers and sons share, Why a Son Needs a Mom is the perfect story to connect mother and son together. From the moment that I saw your beautiful face, Held…
The Real Boys of the Civil War
by
J. Arthur Moore,
The Real Boys of the Civil War is a research about the real boys who served during the war, opening with a historiography research paper about their history along with its 7-page source document. It then evolves into a series of collections of their stories by topic, concluding with a…
Many people are intimidated by poetry. For a big part of my life, I was too. So much of the poetry I had been exposed to was either indecipherable or irrelevant to me. Then I discovered some poems that I loved—accessible poems about subjects I related to. I started collecting poetry books, by both adult and children’s poets. Eventually, I was inspired to write poetry of my own. Today, I’m a poetry advocate, recommending my favorites to anyone who shows interest. The satisfaction I get from poetry boils down to this: When I read a good poem, I think to myself, “Wow, I didn’t know words could do that.”
After writing 14 children’s books about art appreciation, I decided to try my hand at children’s poetry. When I read this collection of haiku by Jack Prelutsky, it was a revelation. Each poem is a first-person description of an animal, full of rich, unexpected language. By writing in first-person, Prelutsky broke one of haiku’s cardinal rules. But it worked—and inspired me to write my own collection in the first person as well. Here’s one of my favorites poems in his book:
Raucously we caw.
Your straw men do not fool us.
We burgle your corn.
Seventeen haiku composed by master poet Jack Prelutsky and illustrated by renowned artist Ted Rand ask you to think about seventeen favorite residents of the animal kingdom in a new way.
On these glorious and colorful pages you will meet a mouse, a skunk, a beaver, a hummingbird, ants, bald eagles, jellyfish, and many others. Who is who? The answer is right in front of you. But how can you tell? Think and wonder and look and puzzle it out!
A creature whispers:
If not for the cat, And the scarcity of cheese, I could be content.
