Education Library Blog

Exploring Math Through Picture Books: A Resource for Educators

This curated list of math picture books has been compiled to support educators in fostering a love of mathematics in young learners. Each book on this list presents mathematical concepts in engaging, visual, and story-driven ways, making complex ideas accessible and enjoyable for students. Whether you’re looking to introduce foundational skills, inspire problem-solving, or encourage mathematical thinking, these picture books offer rich opportunities for exploration. These selections are perfect for classroom use and provide a creative bridge between literacy and numeracy for early learners.

Just a few titles currently on display in our Collection Spotlight:

Counting in dog years and other sassy math poems

Betsy Franco, illustrated by Priscilla Tey.

Betsy Franco is back with a performance that explores a range of math topics–from fractions and time measurements to geometry and graphs–in a way that relates math to the daily lives of children. Illustrated by Priscilla Tey, whose clever mechanical “Numbots” guide readers through a surreal playground of calculated delights from multiplying mice to missing socks, from stinky scales to bug races.

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Zero zebras: a counting book about what’s not there

by Bruce Goldstone; illustrated by Julien Chung

Zero Zebras asks a bold question: can you count what isn’t there? Can you count… to zero? Bruce Goldstone takes us on a wild animal safari counting one wallaby, two tuna, three thrushes, four frogs… but absolutely ZERO zebras. Readers will realize the infinite possibilities of counting what is and isn’t on the page. Goldstone’s imaginative and creative text is brought to life by Chung’s vibrant illustrations which include hidden numbers beautifully integrated into each stunning scene for fun some hide-and-seek. This is the perfect introduction to the concept of zero and infinity, showcasing the profound wonder of numbers in a playful, dazzling picture book that will wow readers of every age!

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The girl with a mind for math: the story of Raye Montague written by Julia Finley Mosca; illustrated by Daniel Rieley.

This is a rhyming-text picture book about Raye Montague. After touring a German submarine in the early 1940s, young Raye set her sights on becoming an engineer. Little did she know sexism and racial inequality would challenge that dream every step of the way, even keeping her greatest career accomplishment a secret for decades. Through it all, the gifted mathematician persisted– finally gaining her well-deserved title in history: a pioneer who changed the course of ship design forever.

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Again, Essie? 

Jenny Lacika; illustrated by Teresa Martínez.

Sorting through spring

written by Lizann Flatt, illustrated by Ashley Barron

What if animals and plants knew math, just like us? Would flowers bloom in patterns? Would raindrops fall in rhythm? Would birds balance evenly on branches? In this book, nature comes to life to help children grasp concepts of patterning, sorting, data management, and probability.

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Growing patterns: Fibonacci numbers in nature

written by Sarah C. Campbell, illustrated by Sarah C. Campbell and Richard P. Campbell

What’s the biggest mathematical mystery in nature? Fibonacci numbers! The pattern creeps up in the most unexpected places. It’s clear that math holds secrets to nature and that nature holds secret numbers.

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Mysterious patterns: Finding fractals in nature

written by Sarah C. Campbell, illustrated by Sarah C. Campbell and Richard P. Campbell

Nature’s repeating patterns, better known as fractals, are beautiful, universal, and explain much about how things grow. This book is an introduction to fractals through examples that can be seen in parks, rivers, and our very own backyards.

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A-b-a-b-a: A book of pattern play

written by Brian P. Cleary, illustrated by Brian Gable

The pictures and rhyming text in this book provide simple examples of repeating sequences of shapes, colours, objects, and more, helping readers learn how to find patterns in the world around them.

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The rabbit problem

by Emily Gravett

In Fibonacci’s Field, Lonely and Chalk Rabbit meet, snuggle together, and then spend a year trying to cope with their ever-increasing brood and the seasonal changes that bring a new challenge each month. By the end of the book, you’ll know how 1+1 can add up to 288.

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Rabbits, rabbits everywhere

written by Ann McCallum, illustrated by Gideon Kendall

Rapidly multiplying rabbits are taking over the village of Chee, and soon there are so many that even the Pied Piper cannot get rid of them. A girl named Amanda discovers a pattern that leads to a way to make the rabbits leave.

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Wild Fibonacci

written by Joy N. Hulme, illustrated by Carol Schwartz

Count the petals on a flower or the peas in a peapod. The numbers are all part of the Fibonacci sequence. In this book, readers will discover this mysterious code in a special shape called an equiangular spiral, which appears throughout nature. A sundial shell curves to fit the spiral; so does a parrot’s beak, a hawk’s talon, and even our own human teeth.

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The Wing Wing brothers math spectacular!

by Ethan Long

Wilber, Wendell, Willy, Walter, and Woody really know how to put on a show – and their slapstick routine is also a math lesson. They introduce the concepts greater than, less than, and equal to as well as addition and subtraction.

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Counting on fall

written by Lizann Flatt, illustrated by Ashley Barron

What if animals and plants knew math, just like you? Would leaves fall in patterns? Would whales enter a race? Nature in the fall comes to life to help children grasp concepts of number sense and numeration.

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Missing math: A number mystery

by Loreen Leedy

What happens when one day, all the numbers in town suddenly disappear? No one can count, use the phone, or find out what time it is. No one can use their computers, money, or rulers. Can the town detective solve the mystery?

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 A place for Zero: A math adventure

written by Angelina Sparagna LoPresti, illustrated by Phyllis Hornung

Having nothing to bring to the game of Addemup, Zero cannot play with the rest of the players in Digitaria and so must come up with a clever plan that will let him play despite his numeric shortcomings.

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1+1=5: and other unlikely additions

written by David LaRochelle, illustrated by Brenda Sexton

Is the answer to 1+1 always 2? Not when you add 1 goat + 1 unicorn and get 3 horns, or 1 set of twins and 1 set of triplets and get 5 babies, or 1 ant and 1 spider and get 14 legs!

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Spaghetti and meatballs for all: A mathematical story

written by Marilyn Burns, illustrated by Deborah Tilley

Mr. and Mrs. Comfort have arranged tables and chairs to seat 32 people at their family reunion. But the guests have their own ideas for seating. How will the family make room for everyone?

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Lucky beans

written by Becky Birtha, illustrated by Nicole Tadgell

During the Great Depression, Marshall uses the lessons he’s learned in arithmetic class and guidance from his mother to figure out how many beans are in a jar in order to win her a new sewing machine in a contest.

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The Rockheads

written by Harriet Ziefert, illustrated by Todd McKie

Increasing numbers of rock-headed characters enjoy a variety of activities, each specific to the number on the page. Four rockheads play in a quartet, five make a basketball team, and nine play on a baseball team.

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If you were a fraction

written by Trisha Speed Shaskan, illustrated by Francesca Carabelli

What would you be like if you were a fraction? You’d be part of a set. You could be divided more than once. What else would you be if you were a fraction? (Part of the Math fun series)

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Sizing up winter

written by Lizann Flatt, illustrated by Ashley Barron

What if animals and plants knew math, just like us? Would snowflakes all fall from the same height in the sky? Would otters spread themselves evenly across lakes? Would groundhogs be aware of the date? In this wintry picture book, nature comes to life to help children grasp concepts of time and measurement.

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If you were a pound or a kilogram

written by Marcie Aboff, illustrated by Francesca Carabelli

If you were a pound or a kilogram, you would be the mass of things. You could be a sack of sugar, a basket of berries, or a heavy-duty truck. What else could you be if you were a pound or a kilogram? Part of the Math fun series.

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Millions to measure

written by David M. Schwartz, illustrated by Steven Kellogg

Marvelosissimo the Magician is ready to explore length, weight, and volume measurements. How tall is Moonbeam, the unicorn? How long are Jello the cat’s whiskers? Tons and ounces and feet and miles … with millions of things to measure, wouldn’t one standard system be simpler? With another wave of the wand, Marvelosissimo introduces the world of metrics and makes it easy to understand the basic pattern of meters, liters, and grams.

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Zachary Zormer, shape transformer: A math adventure

written by Joanne Reisberg, illustrated by David Hohn

Friday is Zachary Zormer’s favorite day of the week. At least it is until he realizes he forgot this week’s assignment: “Bring in something fun to measure.” What can Zack do when all he has to work with is a piece of paper he finds in his pocket? Week after week Zack takes on a different math concept with surprising projects including a mobius strip, a paper frame large enough to step through, and a light show that demonstrates how the sun heats the earth.

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Magnus Maximus, a marvelous measurer

written by Kathleen T. Pelley, illustrated by S. D. Schindler

Magnus Maximus is a marvelous measurer. He measures wetness and dryness, nearness and farness, and everything in between. When a lion escapes from a traveling circus, Magnus and his trusty measuring tape come to the rescue. Now a hero, all is well until the day Magnus accidentally breaks his glasses, and he sees—for the first time—that he’s been missing out on life’s simple pleasures.

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Shaping up summer

written by Lizann Flatt, illustrated by Ashley Barron

What if animals and plants knew math, just like us? Would spiders draw pictures in their webs? Would narwhals sort blocks of ice by shape? Would insects know what’s above and what’s below? In this book, nature comes to life to help children grasp concepts of geometry, symmetry, and spatial sense.

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If you were a quadrilateral

written by Molly Blaisdell, illustrated by Francesca Carabelli

What could you do if you were a quadrilateral? You could have four straight sides. You could be a checkerboard, a kite, or a yoga mat. What else could you be if you were a quadrilateral? Part of the Math fun series.

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What’s your angle, Pythagoras? A math adventure

written by Julie Ellis, illustrated by Phyllis Hornung

Young Pythagoras can’t seem to stay out of trouble. Every time he tries to help, people get angry. What’s a curious kid to do? On a trip to Egypt, Pythagoras’s curiosity helps him discover the secret of the right triangle.

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Sir Cumference and the great knight of Angleland: A math adventure

written by Cindy Neuschwander, illustrated by Wayne Geehan

To earn his knighthood, Radius must find and rescue a missing king. His father, Sir Cumference, and his mother, Lady Di of Ameter, give him a circular medallion (a protractor) that he uses to find his way through a maze of many angles.

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Circles, stars, and squares: Looking for shapes

by Jane Brocket

Through vivid photographs, young readers can explore the difference between flat and solid shapes, and identify objects with these different shapes, including rectangular bricks and cube-shaped candies.

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Starring shapes!

by Tania Howells

Shapes play supporting roles in the world around us, but which one will be the star of Shapeston Elementary School’s play? Triangle has experience as a traffic sign, and Square moonlights as a postage stamp. Circle has been a lemon slice, Rectangle the cover of a magazine and Diamond a kite, while Oval has played a surfboard. Who gets the big role?

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Chickens on the move

written by Pam Pollack and Meg Belviso, illustrated by Lynn Adams

Grandpa has a surprise for Tim, Anne, and Gordon – chickens! Now, where should they put the chickens and their new home? Each time they move the fence, the coop becomes a different shape, but the perimeter stays the same. Can they figure it out? Part of the Math matters series.

Below are the new arrivals for November 2024.  Clicking on the book cover will take you to the Google Books page while clicking on the title will take you to the item’s UBC Library catalogue page.

From October 29 – November 11, 2024, the UBC Education Library Collection Spotlight will feature Remembrance Day books and books about war.

Here are just a few titles that will be displayed:

1. Remembrance Day: “Lest we forget” / Jill Foran

“Canadian Celebrations provides an exciting look at the events that people take part in during Canada’s major holidays. Each title provides information about the history, symbols, and traditions of these special days.”

2. In Flanders Fields: the story of the poem by John McCrae / Linda Granfield; [illustrated by] Janet Wilson; with an introduction by Dr. Tim Cook.

“In this award-winning book, the lines of the celebrated poem are interwoven with fascinating information about the First World War (1914-1918) and details of daily life in the trenches in Europe. Also included are accounts of McCrae’s experience in his field hospital and the circumstances that led to the writing of “In Flanders Fields.”

3. On Remembrance Day By Eleanor Creasey

Online link
Permalink book at Education Library

An exploration of Canadian Remembrance Day history, customs, and traditions. Who are the people who offered their lives in war? Why do we remember them? How do we honour their memory?

For children learning about remembrance and the human toll of war, there can be hard questions to answer. This book is meant to answer the questions kids ask about Remembrance Day and to explain how and why we honour the men and women who have served our country. Canada has developed unique ways of honouring and demonstrating respect for its war dead and veterans.

Through every generation there are Canadian families who have lost loved ones to international conflict and war. On Remembrance Day presents the origins, traditions, and customs of Canada’s Remembrance Day in a fashion that is engaging and easy to read.

4. Remembrance Day / Molly Aloian

“Each year on November 11th, millions of people in Canada and other countries in the Commonwealth take time to remember the men and women who served their countries during times of war. This book describes how people around the world hold similar services featuring poppies, poems, and special prayers.”

5. Un coquelicot pour se souvenir / Heather Patterson ; [illustrations] Ron Lightburn ; text français de Claudine Azoulay

Un po’me sur l’espoir qu’inspire le coquelicot, qui s’?panouit l? o? la guerre a d’cim? tant d’humains. Ce po’me est le point de d’part d’une vaste campagne qui vise ? aider les victimes de la guerre, tout en rappelant aux autres combien il a fallu de courage pour survivre ? cette p’riode troubl’e.

Moving text coupled with stunning illustrations by Governor General’s Award-winning artist Ron Lightburn explain the symbolism behind the poppy.
A bonus for teachers is the five-page spread all about the poem, “In Flanders Fields,” Canada’s wartime and peacekeeping endeavours, and the adoption of the poppy as our Remembrance Day emblem.

6. A poppy is to remember / Heather Patterson ; [illustrations] Ron Lightburn.

“With soothing words and illustrations aimed specifically at younger readers, children will learn how the bright red poppy became the symbol for honouring those who fought for freedom.

The text is simple and is combined with stunning paintings by award-winning illustrator Ron Lightburn. The familiar poem, “In Flanders Fields,” is included, along with information about the symbolism and history of the poppy and Remembrance Day – all geared towards helping parents and teachers explain the significance of past and present wars and Canada’s peacekeeping missions.”

7. Remembrance Day / Liz Gogerly

Looking back at the First and Second World Wars, this book investigates the origins of Remembrance Day, and how its significance has grown to incorporate conflicts up to the present day. Explaining why we wear poppies, the book goes on to explore what Remembrance Day means for people today and describes the work of the British Legion.

8. Proud as a peacock, brave as a lion / Jane Barclay; illustrated by Renné Benoit

“Much has been written about war and remembrance, but very little of it has been for young children. As questions come from a young grandchild, his grandpa talks about how, as a very young man, he was as proud as a peacock in uniform, busy as a beaver on his Atlantic crossing, and brave as a lion charging into battle”.

9. Jules et Jim. English
The eleventh hour / Jacques Goldstyn.

“Jules and Jim are best friends. They play together. They go to school together. They grow up together. Through it all, Jim is always a little ahead of Jules-a little faster, a little stronger. So, when Canada goes to war against Germany in 1914, Jim is the first to volunteer, but Jules is right behind him. They fight together. They battle the cold and the mud of the trenches together. But in the end, only one of them will see the Armistice begin at the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month. A poignant tale of friendship, The Eleventh Hour is also a story about life, death, and the horrors and futility of war.”– Provided by publisher.