Count on Me
By Miguel Tanco. 2019. Tundra Books.
“ Students can keep their own math journals as an open-ended way to draw, tally, or write about the shapes they find in their world.”— Stephanie Calabrese, Virginia
Across many of our book posts, we see ways in which math can be fun, engaging, and developmentally appropriate. Count on Me( described in the opening quote) highlights how math is all around us, from geometric patterns on the playground to concentric circles that form when a rock plops into a lake.
Try this! Use the book’ s illustrations to introduce shape activities. Ask children to refer to the page that displays three-dimensional shapes and use it to identify and label blocks with their correct mathematical names( rectangular prisms, cylinders, cubes).
10 Gulab Jamuns: Counting with an Indian Sweet Treat
By Sandhya Acharya. Illus. by Vanessa Alexandre. 2017. Mascot Books.
“ I will definitely get this book for our program. We often see different treats packed in the lunches of our students, and now we can see if they match the pictures in the book!”— Jenny James, Maryland
Everyone is capable of doing math, including children. 10 Gulab Jamuns: Counting with an Indian Sweet Treat showcases opportunities to use math while sharing cultural traditions. In the story, Idu and Adu count the number of gulab jamuns( soft, deep-fried dough balls) that their mother makes for guests, then determine how many remain after they sample some. After snacking, the two help their parents make more gulab jamun treats and serve them to their guests.
Try this! While this book highlights counting and cardinality, it also provides opportunities to extend children’ s math thinking to concepts like subtraction and measurement. A recipe for gulab jamuns is included at the back of the book; making this treat with children would allow them to explore measurement in a hands-on way.
60 Educating Young Children
Fall 2026