Alphabet & Counting Books

Numbers and letters are the building blocks of all education. Students would never learn differential calculus if they weren't first taught to count, and they wouldn't read The Brothers Karamazov if they didn't know their ABCs long before. It stands to reason, then, that if we want to raise children who actually enjoy learning, we'll do our best to make their first steps on that path fun and exciting.

What could be more exciting than a dinosaur for every letter of the alphabet? or three bipedal animals teaching basic counting? or showing kids how to count from one to ten....in Swahili? Some of the best children's illustrators have supplied artwork for books like these, so that young readers are actually learning to identify numerals and letters while absorbing beautiful and engaging pictures.

Some titles are even more educational than just teaching the basics—a series from Sleeping Bear Press offers stunningly illustrated "state alphabets" which teach kids each letter A-Z through U.S. state-specific words and phrases. For example, T is for Tar-Heel is a North Carolina alphabet; B is for Beaver State uses Oregon words. We don't carry them all yet, but there's an alphabet book for each of the fifty states.

We really don't think kids should be committed to learning simply because it's fun. There are times in anyone's academic career (whether as a kindergartner or graduate student) when learning is difficult and a drudgery. But we're more likely to end up with children who enjoy picking up a book or completing a math lesson if we make it a positive experience from the outset—the books in this category can help toward that end.

Review by C. Hollis Crossman
C. Hollis Crossman used to be a child. Now he's a husband and father who loves church, good food, and weird stuff. He might be a mythical creature, but he's definitely not a centaur. Read more of his reviews here.
Did you find this review helpful?
Parent Categories
Alphabet & Counting Books
32 Items found Print
Active Filters: 3rd grade (Ages 8-9)
A is for Africa
by Ifeoma Onyefulu
Reprint from Puffin Books
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Alphabet & Counting Books (Location: PIC-ALPH)
ABC Book of Early Americana
by Eric Sloane
2012 Dover from Dover Publications
for Kindergarten-4th grade
in Pioneer & Frontier Life (Location: HISA-19PIO)
$10.95
ABC Bunny
by Wanda Gág
from University of Minnesota
Word Books for 1st-3rd grade
1934 Newbery Honor Book
in Alphabet & Counting Books (Location: PIC-ALPH)
$14.95
Animalia
by Graeme Base
from Puffin Books
for Kindergarten-3rd
in Oversized Picture Books (Location: PIC-OVER)
$8.99
Animalia
by Graeme Base
from Harry N. Abrams, Inc.
for Kindergarten-3rd
in Oversized Picture Books (Location: PIC-OVER)
$7.00 (1 in stock)
Ashanti to Zulu
by Margaret Musgrove, Leo & Diane Dillon
from Puffin Books
Word Books for 2nd-5th grade
1977 Caldecott Medal winner
in Alphabet & Counting Books (Location: PIC-ALPH)
$8.99
Australia ABCs
Country ABCs
by Sarah Heiman
from Picture Window Books
for 1st-3rd grade
in Alphabet & Counting Books (Location: PIC-ALPH)
B is for Badger
by Kathy-jo Wargin, illustrated by Renée Graef
1st edition from Sleeping Bear Press
for 1st-4th grade
in Alphabet & Counting Books (Location: PIC-ALPH)
B is for Beaver
by Marie & Roland Smith, illustrated by Michael Roydon
from Sleeping Bear Press
for nursery-3rd grade
in Alphabet & Counting Books (Location: PIC-ALPH)
$18.99 $8.50 (1 in stock)
B is for Bluegrass
Discover America State-by-State
by Mary Ann McCabe Riehle, illustrated by Wes Burgiss
from Sleeping Bear Press
for nursery-3rd grade
in Alphabet & Counting Books (Location: PIC-ALPH)
$8.50 (1 in stock)
C Is for Centennial
by Louise Doak Whitney, illustrated by Helle Urban
1st edition from Sleeping Bear Press
for Kindergarten-4th grade
in Alphabet & Counting Books (Location: PIC-ALPH)
Count Your Way Through Israel
by James Haskins
from First Avenue Editions
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Israel (Location: HISW-ANIS)
Count Your Way Through Japan
by Jim Haskins
from Carolrhoda Books, Inc.
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Japanese (Location: FL-GEN)
D is for Down Under
Discover the World
by Devin Scillian, illustrated by Geoff Cook
1st Printing from Sleeping Bear Press
for 1st-3rd grade
in Alphabet & Counting Books (Location: PIC-ALPH)
D is for Drinking Gourd
by written by Nancy I. Sanders; illustrated by E. B. Lewis
from Sleeping Bear Press
for 1st-4th grade
in Alphabet & Counting Books (Location: PIC-ALPH)
E Is for Ethiopia
World Alphabets
by Ashenafi Gudeta, Dama Boru, Betelhem Abate, Ataklti Mulu
from Frances Lincoln
for 1st-3rd grade
in Africa (Location: HISMC-AFR)
Each Orange Has 8 Slices
by Paul Giganti, Jr.
1st edition from Greenwillow Books
for Grades 1st-4th
in Math Picture Books (Location: MATR-PIC)
Guatemala ABCs
Country ABCs
by Marcie Aboff
from Picture Window Books
for 1st-3rd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
I is for India
by Prodeepta Das
Revised edition from Frances Lincoln
for 1st-3rd grade
in India (Location: HISMC-IND)
K Is for Korea
by Hyechong Cheung
First Trade Paper Edition from Frances Lincoln
for 1st-3rd grade
in Asia (Location: HISMC-ASIA)
M is for Maple
by Michael Ulmer
from Unknown Publisher
for 1st-3rd grade
in Alphabet & Counting Books (Location: PIC-ALPH)
On Market Street
by Arnold Lobel & Anita Lobel
from Greenwillow Books
for Preschool- 3rd Grade
1982 Caldecott Honor Book
in Alphabet & Counting Books (Location: PIC-ALPH)
One Little, Two Little, Three Little Pilgrims
by B.G. Hennessy
1st ptg thus from Puffin Books
for 1st-3rd grade
in Pilgrims at Plymouth (Location: HISA-17PIL)
Over in the Meadow
by Ezra Jack Keats
from Scholastic Inc.
for Preschool-3rd grade
in Alphabet & Counting Books (Location: PIC-ALPH)
P is for Passport
Discover the World
by Devin Scillian
from Sleeping Bear Press
for 1st-3rd grade
in Alphabet & Counting Books (Location: PIC-ALPH)
P is for Pterodactyl
by Raj Haldar and Chris Carpenter, illustrated by Maria Tina Beddia
from Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
for Preschool-3rd grade
in Alphabet & Counting Books (Location: PIC-ALPH)
Richard Scarry's ABC Word Book
by Richard Scarry
from Sterling Publishing Co.
for Preschool- 3rd Grade
in Alphabet & Counting Books (Location: PIC-ALPH)
T is for Tar Heel
by Carol Crane, illustrated by Gary Palmer
1st edition from Sleeping Bear Press
for 1st-4th grade
in Alphabet & Counting Books (Location: PIC-ALPH)
Ten, Nine, Eight
by Molly Bang
from Greenwillow Books
for Preschool- 3rd Grade
1984 Caldecott Honor book
in Math Picture Books (Location: MATR-PIC)
$9.99 $4.00 (1 in stock)
The Ultimate Alphabet
by Mike Wilks
from Henry Holt and Company
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Alphabet & Counting Books (Location: PIC-ALPH)
$10.00 (1 in stock)
The Ultimate Alphabet
by Mike Wilks
from Henry Holt and Company
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Alphabet & Counting Books (Location: PIC-ALPH)
$7.50 (1 in stock)
Tooth Book
by Theo. LeSieg, illustrated by Joe Mathieu
from Random House Books for Young Readers
for 2nd-4th grade
in Beginner Books (Location: EAR-BB)
$3.00 (1 in stock)