Bears at the Beach

Most early counting books top out at ten, which is exactly why this one earns its place on the shelf. Niki Yektai's bear families at the beach tackle the 10-to-20 range that many young readers find confusing precisely because so few books go there. The beach setting gives the counting a cheerful context — beach umbrellas, waves, and sandcastles — and the familiar bear characters keep it accessible. It works as a classroom read-aloud or a home math companion. The honest caveat is that there is not much story here; the counting conceit is the whole book. But for a kindergartner who has mastered one through ten and needs a bridge, filling that specific gap is genuinely useful.