Circle, square, rectangle, triangle…Do you have a favorite shape? Explore these math books about shapes with children. They will be identifying shapes, counting sides and angles, and figuring out puzzles in no time.
Books About Shapes for Children
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Board Books About Shapes
A triangle could be a fox or a rat. What else could a triangle be? Find out in Triangle by Yusuke Yonezu. Also, check out Circles and Squares.
If you have little ones who like the Stanley books, check out Stanley’s Shapes by William Bee. Children will enjoy discovering shapes with this lovable hamster.
It’s a board book but you could easily use it with preschoolers. My First Shapes with Frank Lloyd Wright book is part shape awareness, part counting, part art, and part architecture introduction.
Watch shapes turn into different things in Color Zoo by Lois Ehlert.
The Hello, World series brings us Paris: Book of Shapes. Children will find shapes at the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, and more. This series also features other cities and basic concepts.
Food and shapes? Yes, please. Check out Frankie’s Food Truck. Children will lift-the-flaps to reveal a shaped food on each spread.
Shapes of Spring by Jill Hawarth is a seek-and-find for different shapes on each page spread with a springy theme.
Mail Duck: A Book of Shapes and Surprises by Erica Sirotich is a playful lift-the-flap book where special deliveries are made to different animals. Each animal loves a different shape from Trudy liking triangles to Omar liking ovals. When you lift the flap, more objects featuring that shape are revealed.
Picture Books About Shapes
The Museum of Shapes by Sven Völker is filled with lots of shapes from round ones to pointy ones. Alma, the curator, is setting up a museum exhibit full of these figures.
Put shapes and discover all sorts of things in this creativity building book called Shape Shift by Joyce Hesselberth. It’s great for talking about perspective, shapes, and imagination.
Imagine how shapes move in Circle Rolls by Barbara Kanninen. Of course, circles roll and ovals rock. What about squares and triangles? Get ready to have some moving fun in this tale.
Now What? A Math Tale by Robie H. Harris is all about shapes (rectangles, squares, and triangles) using blocks.
Get kids up and moving with this sing-along book about shapes called The Shape Song Swingalong by Steve Songs.
Tangled by Anne Miranda is a book about shapes but it also so much more. First, there is an engaging story that features the shapes as characters. And even more impressive is the message of problem-solving and working together to solve a problem. A win-win book!
Shapes, Shapes, Shapes by Tana Hoban contains photographs of objects all around us. It’s a good one for encouraging kids to look around and find objects that are different shapes around them.
Watch a dinosaur appear shape by shape in Shape by Shape by Suse MacDonald.
Crescent Moons and Pointed Minarets: A Muslim Book of Shapes by Hena Khan not only introduces us to shapes but to the Muslim religion.
Mac Barnett’s shape trilogy of Square, Triangle, and Circle are great read-alouds and discussion starters.
Next, try Perfect Square by Michael Hall. What happens to a square when it transforms. Break out the square pieces of paper and art supplies because students will be inspired to do something with their own squares too.
Circle and Square are friends and then Triangle arrives. Find out what happens next in Love, Triangle by Marcie Colleen.
Another book about shape friends is Friendshape by Amy Krause Rosenthall emphasizing the importance of having friends in our lives.
Roseanne Thong wrote Round is a Tortilla which teaches about shapes using many items from the Latino culture. She also has Round is a Moon Cake featuring Asian items.
A Trapezoid is Not a Dinosaur by Suzanne Morris is the story of a triangle holding auditions for the play. Are in shapes up for the part?
Apples and Robins by Lucie Felix uses simple shapes to create different objects from apples, to birds, to ladders. Just how many rectangles do you need to create a ladder?
Round by Sidman invites us to look around us and discover all the things that are round from sunflowers, eggs, and planets. This is a great pick to follow up with a nature walk to seek out things that are round.
Follow up with a walk outside by reading City Shapes by Diana Murray. This one celebrates the shapes of the city.
A good choice for independent exploration in a math center would be Shapes by John Reiss.
Which One Doesn’t Belong? Playing With Shapes by Christopher Danielson is a book that will spark conversation (that is the purpose) with children about analyzing shapes and creating a defense for which shape doesn’t belong with the others. A good pick for one-on-one or in small group discussion.
Mouse Shapes by Ellen Stoll Walsh works on shapes and colors. Check out the Mouse Shapes name activity we created to complement the book.
Sweet Shapes by Juana Medina Rosas is a culinary shape delight. Different shaped sweet treats are transformed into forest animals. There’s a lot going on in a simple book.
Circle Round by Anne Sibley O’Brien is all about noticing the circles in nature from hula hoops to basketballs and counting them along the way. But, it’s also about forming a circle of acceptance and including others.
The Quest for a Tangram Dragon by Christine Liu-Perkins takes us a problem solving math adventure as the shapes work together to locate a rain dragon. The book includes a cut-out tangram puzzle so you can interact with the book.
Not a Dog by Claudia Guadalupe Martinez is the story of how prairie dogs grow and where they live. But, it’s also a book about learning about different shapes and what those shapes are called in Spanish.
Printable List of Shape Books
Yes, I do have a printable list of the books I shared above for you. It’s great to take to the library or tuck in your lesson plan file.
More Math Themed Books
Ready to move on from shapes? Check out these other great math-related and concept booklists.