Big and small, empty and full. Children measure all of the time, even if they’re not using rulers or numbers while doing so. There are many great children’s books about measurement that spur on their natural fascination with the subject. Here are a few of our favorites.

1. Inch by Inch by Leo Lionni

   A wonderful illustrator and children’s book author, Leo Lionni describes a peppy little inch worm and his desire to measure an assortment of birds, keeping him out of harm’s way. In the end he needs to outwit a nightingale using his resourceful measuring skills. Creative measuring tools—hands, feet, paper clips—are featured, which can introduce children to the attributes involved with measuring procedures even if they are still working on their counting skills.

2. Just a Little Bit by Ann Tompert

   Pastel watercolors, a whimsical tone, and a lot of animals combine in one of our favorite books about measurement. When a tiny mouse and gigantic elephant can’t quite play with the seesaw the way it is meant to be played, it takes help from a zebra, a giraffe, a lion, and a whole host of others to balance the scale. It is a cute romp and a great introduction to weight and measurement.

3. Strega Nona by Tomie dePaola

   This timeless tale recounts the story of a grandma witch doctor who takes on an assistant named Big Anthony. An attempt by Big Anthony to replicate a spell to create mounds of pasta in a magic pot results in huge amounts of pasta overflowing into the village. This fun story is a fantastic way to explore capacity in your measurement activities.

4. Life-Size Zoo: From Tiny Rodents to Gigantic Elephants, An Actual-Size Animal Encyclopedia by Teruyuki Komiya

   To get kids thinking about ideas like big and small, estimation, and comparison, consider taking a look at this entertaining “encyclopedia.” It features high-quality, life-size photographs of animals displayed on oversize pages. Some pages even fold out to fit larger images. Comparing the size of the animals with each other (or with the readers!) is a good place to start mathematical conversation.

One of the most classic images of the Halloween season is a witch’s magic pot or cauldron.  Singing about witches’ brew and reading tales of magical pots can also be a great way to introduce math concepts… as long as you find the right book!

Here are three of our favorite magic cauldron tales that could be introduced during the Halloween season (or any time) to spark discussion around important math ideas such as doubling, capacity, and measurement.

1. Two of Everything by Lily Toy Hong

   There aren’t any witches in this story, but there is certainly an interesting magic pot. This Chinese folktale tells the story of Mr. Haktak and the miraculous brass pot he finds in the ground. Mr. and Mrs. Haktak think they have found a goldmine when they discover that anything put into the pot comes out with a second, a double. For this couple it seems like a great way to get rich, but when Mr. Haktak falls into the pot himself, they quickly find that things can get messy when you double the wrong things.

   The tale is whimsical and lighthearted and could easily be translated into describing two witches in a similar situation, adding to your list of good Halloween books for kids to ring in the season. And further discussing ways in which doubling can happen in the real world can become a fun and worthwhile exploration of math concepts. It isn’t always one object making two when you decide to throw a set of keys or a pair of shoes in the pot.

2. The Magic Porridge Pot by Paul Galdone

   This amusing story starts off much like Jack and the Beanstalk, with a girl looking for food for her poor family when she is approached by an old woman. She is given a pot that can provide never-ending porridge. With the magic words, the girl thinks she has found the solution to her problems.

   The real problem comes with keeping track of the magic words, which is what results in an overflow of porridge in her poor town. The math opportunity with this story comes with the concept of capacity, volume, and measurement. The pot never changes size, nor the amount of porridge that it can hold. It is the volume of porridge (and the limited capacity of the pot) that makes this a big problem for the girl. Having a clear problem and exploring the math involved with it makes this a fun and interesting book for kids.

3. Strega Nona by Tomie dePaola

   The timeless tale of Strega Nona is based on the same traditional folktale as The Magic Porridge Pot. But this one involves a real witch! This time it is “Big Anthony” who has some issues with a magical pot. And it isn’t porridge, it is pasta. This book offers the same possibilities in connecting the story to concepts of volume and measurement, but activities that include actual pasta noodles could give a tactile and real-world dimension to the story.

A student uses a balance to compare the weight of various objects.

Focus on the Child videos are taken from one-on-one interviews with individual children. The interviews are designed to elicit evidence of children’s mathematical thinking. They are not teaching episodes or formal assessments.

Some time ago we suggested a few books that are great for exploring measurement concepts in primary grades. Now we’re at it again. Like the others, these books don’t make the learning didactic, such as reciting units of measurement and their conversions. Young children need opportunities to think through math and measurement concepts in everyday situations. One of the best ways to do this is through the books that they love to read and the natural dilemmas that arise in them.

Here are a few more high-quality children’s books that are great for starting measurement discussions and activities.

1. The Line Up Book by Marisabina Russo

   Children often love to make lines out of objects. The line could start with their shoes, stretching across the room, or it even could be Legos that create a line upwards. This colorful story book is the tale of Sam and his particular quest to see how long his line can go using boots, trucks, cars, books, and about anything else he can get his hands on. The story tells something that children can relate to, and it also is a great way to discuss units and how they can affect a task. Sam may discover how his line is affected when he goes from using matchbox cars to using something longer like trucks or his parent’s boots. The length he is creating in his line is full of different units that can start a great conversation with children.

2. Is It Larger? Is It Smaller? by Tana Hoban

   Particularly great for younger children, Tana Hoban’s simple and effective photographic picture books always invite thinking and exploration in whatever concepts that are inherent in the book. In this case, children can wrestle with comparison and that most important of concepts, attributes. Each page can start a new discussion involving size with engaging objects and places that children naturally find fun to talk about. From rainy days to fire trucks, kids will see the math in all kinds of scenes.

3. One Bean by Anne Rockwell

   This engaging picture book begins with a common science activity, planting a seed, but it integrates mathematical concepts such as growth and change. With simple language and illustrations this book outlines the exciting experience of measuring a bean plant’s growth over time. Conversations about comparing heights is a natural direction to go from there, while making guesses about future plant heights could become a great way to reinforce number sense with children.

4. Balancing Act by Ellen Stoll Walsh

   One type of measurement that hasn’t been discussed is weight! Here is a charming picture book that involves two mice on a teeter-totter. Like Room on the Broom and other picture books that involve problems involving weight, it can turn silly and fun when animal after animal pile on, but this one can also demonstrate the important concept of equivalence.