9 Best Birthday Picture Books: For Preschoolers – Fifth Grade
Free Math Activities & Worksheets
Acknowledging birthdays is a wonderful way to celebrate your students. Most students consider their birthdays the most important days of the year. So, I decided to compile a list of best books and math activities for birthdays for preschoolers to fifth graders.
In contrast, you can use your own books to correspond with the math activities. Subscribe to my blog, and get free Birthday Graph Worksheets and other fun and educational activities for your students!
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1) 
Where is Baby’s Birthday Cake? By Karen Katz (Pre-K) board book (lift-the-flap)
Where is Baby’s Birthday Cake? by Karen Katz is a delightful lift-the-flap book about a toddler looking for his birthday cake. Little children will enjoy baby’s treasure hunt. Surprises pop up everywhere as you reveal what is under each flap. Play a guessing game with your kids.
2)
Happy Birthday, Mouse! By Laura Numeroff & Drawings by Felicia Bond (Pre-K-Kindergarten) board book
Happy Birthday, Mouse! by Laura Numeroff is an adorable and comical read. It’s our favorite Mouse’s birthday, and he is looking for a yummy treat. Join our little guy as he searches for the perfect birthday sweet.
3)
Happy Birthday, Spot! By Eric Hill (Pre-K-Kindergarten)
Happy Birthday, Spot! by Eric Hill is the perfect book for young children. It has a large bold print with short words and sentences. Lifting the flaps adds an element of surprise, and it allows your students to make predictions about what will be underneath.
4)
The Secret Birthday Message by Eric Carle (PreK-2nd Grade)
The Secret Birthday Message by Eric Carle is one of my all-time favorite birthday books for children. This cleverly written book opens with the birthday boy reading a map coded in shapes. As you explore the vividly colored book, you will see the shapes unfold to find the birthday gift.
5)
Happy Birthday, Moon by Frank Ash (Pre-K-2nd Grade)
Happy Birthday, Moon by Frank Ash is a sweet story about a little bear that finds out what the moon wants for its birthday. Find out the secret about how the little bear finds the answer to his question to the moon.
6)
A Letter to Amy by Ezra Jack Keats (Kindergarten- 3rd Grade)
A letter to Amy by Ezra Jack Keats follows Peter about his reluctance to invite his friend Amy to his almost all boy birthday party. To make matters worse, Peter bumps into Amy at the mailbox. Will she come to his party? This is a delightful addition to the Peter collection.
7)
A Birthday Basket for Tia by Pat Mora & Illustrated by Cecily Lang (Kindergarten-3nd Grade)
A Birthday Basket for Tia by Pat Mora is an enjoyable book to read. Cecilia’s great-aunt is having another birthday, and she wants to surprise her with a wonderful gift.
In addition, this book gives you a look into the Mexican culture and the special relationship between family members. As Cecilia collects sentimental items to put in her great-aunt’s basket, this is a great opportunity for you to reinforce sequencing skills.
8)
Some Birthday by Patricia Palacco (1st Grade-3rd Grade)
Some Birthday by Patricia Polacco is an entertaining read. It’s Patricia’s birthday, but she thinks that her father forgot. Then her father suggests an evening outing in search of a monster. Do they find their monster? Did her dad really forget her birthday? Enjoy the ride of this adventure.
Awards:
A Child Study Association Children’s Book of the Year
An IRA/CBC Children’s Choices Book
A Parents’ Choice Awards Picture Honor Book
9)
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K. Rowling (3rd-5th grade)
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K. Rowling is the epic start of this wildly popular series. How does this relate to birthdays? Harry turns 11 years old, and this is the tipping point for him escaping his abusive adopted family house by fulfilling his destiny of going to the Hogwarts Wizarding School.
Awards:
England’s National Book Award
New York Times Best Seller
USA Today Bestseller
Parenting Book of the Year 1998
ALA Notable Book
New York Public Library Best Book of the Year 1998
Winner of the 1997 National Book Award & more…
Math Activities Preschool- Fifth Grade
Learning the Months of the Year through Books
Twelve Hats for Lena by Karen Katz (Pre-K-2nd Grade)
Chicken Soup with Rice by Maurice Sendak (Pre-K-2nd Grade)
A Busy Year by Leo Lionni (Kindergarten-2nd Grade)
You will use your students’ birthdays to create the graphs.
1) Preschool– For each month, count the number of birthdays (for each of your children) on a chart. Have a nice colorful birthday chart. Take it one month at a time.
2) Kindergarten– Have students write their names on 4X6 blank index cards and a drawing if it will fit.
Have the students put their cards under their birthday months.
The teacher can ask the children for their observations. The teacher will write down the observations on a whiteboard/Smartboard for the whole class to see.
The teacher will ask the class these questions. (If they were not already discussed during the observation time, then the teacher can improvise and ask different questions.)
a. Add up how many names under each month. How many birthdays were in ________? Ask this question and record it for each month.
b. Which month has the most birthdays?
c. Least?
d. Are there any that are equal?
e. If they are up to it, the teacher might present some simple addition questions.
3) First Grade– Do the same math problems as the Kindergarten activities.
a. Then, come up with addition and subtraction problems.
4) Second Grade-Provide the chart and have the students come up with word problems in a group or pairs. Include: adding 4 or more numbers together. The students will write some word problems using the birthday graph with addition and subtraction.
5) Third Grade– The teacher will create vertical and a horizontal graph, and fill it in.
a. Have the students get into groups or pairs.
b. Have the groups create word problems with addition, subtraction, multiplication and fractions.
6) Fourth Grade & Fifth Grade– Students will fill in a graph.
For example:
a. Have the students get into groups or pairs.
b. Have the groups create word problems with multiple steps and double digits addition, subtraction, multiplication and fractions- or whatever you are working on.
*Clifford’s Birthday Party by Norman Bridwell (Canadian Affiliate Link)
These are all great suggestions! I love the wide age range you included in this list.
Hi Cyndi,
Thank you for your kind words! 🙂 This is the age range I worked with as a teacher, substitute, and tutor.
All the best,
Christina
Love your suggestions. My boys loved Spot when they were little.
Happy Sunday!
Veronica, Happy Sunday! Spot books are great for young readers! 🙂 I used them with my Kindergarten class. Thank you for commenting. 🙂
Howdy! This post could not be written any better! Going through this article reminds
me of my previous roommate! He always kept talking about this.
I am going to forward this article to him. Pretty sure he will have a great read.
I appreciate you for sharing!
Happy New Year! Thank you for your kind words!? Thank you for sharing.
Best,
Christina