April is Math Awareness Month

We are celebrating Math Awareness Month at our libraries this week (combining it with National Library Week), so I have math-related read alouds on my mind. Even if you don’t have a special program planned for Math Awareness Month, you can easily mark it with a counting-themed story time or display.

(image taken from Holiday House website)

Poor Iguana has stubbed her toe. As anyone who has stubbed his/her toe can understand, the pain in her toe distracts her from making her fabulous cactus butter desserts. Culebra (snake)’s idea to attach a number of kitchen utensils to her tail is an unorthodox but rather successful solution. Spanish words for the animals and numbers are included (as is a glossary in the backmatter for Count on Culebra).

(image taken from Scholastic website)

I use Feast for 10 not only in my counting story time, but also in my Thanksgiving-themed story time (which is centered on stories about families and food).  It’s a very simple story about a family that helps Mom gather the groceries, unload the car, and prepare the feast. Family members, food, and meal-related items (such as pots) are counted.

Mabela the Clever is one of my favorite Margaret Read MacDonald stories; this folktale from Sierra Leone not only incorporates subtraction (!), but imparts the importance of being aware of your surroundings (especially if you are a mouse in the vicinity of a cult-like cat society!).

(image taken from Barefoot Books website)

We All Went on Safari is a staple in my counting story time. As readers and listeners follow a group of Tanzanian women and children through grasslands, Swahili names and numbers are introduced in a very organic manner. A glossary of Swahili words, a map, and information about Tanzania are included.

What are your favorite counting (or any math-related) books? Let us know in the comments!