Zoo AdventuresCounting
Count to 10 at the Zoo
Explore the zoo and learn to count from 1 to 10. A gentle counting book that helps young children build early counting and number recognition — all while enjoying a trip around the zoo.
Books for 3 year olds
Three is the age where a picture book stops being a naming exercise and starts being a conversation. They will ask why, argue with the pictures, and want the same book again immediately.
What changes at three
Attention stretches to five or ten minutes, which is enough for a whole book in one go.
Counting becomes real counting: touching each object rather than chanting past it. A counting book with clearly separated objects is genuinely useful now in a way it was not at two.
Comparison arrives. Big and small, more and fewer, same and different start to make sense, which is what makes three a good age for opposites.
Vocabulary grows fastest when a book gives them a word for something they already noticed but could not name.
Ask questions, do not just read
"How many cows can you see?" "Which one is the biggest?" "What colour is the tractor?" A three year old will engage with a question far more than with a sentence read at them.
Leave gaps in familiar text and let them fill in the word. On a book they know well, they will.
Getting ready for nursery and reception
Recognising numerals to ten, naming common colours, and understanding positional and comparative words are all part of the Early Years Foundation Stage. None of it needs formal teaching — a book shared at bedtime does the work.
Our pick for this reader
Zoo AdventuresColours
Colours at the Zoo
Join the friendly zoo animals as they discover a world of colours. From grey elephants to green crocodiles, little learners will love discovering colours through fun zoo friends and bright illustrations.
Farm AdventuresOppositesComing soon
Opposites on the Farm
From big and small to fast and slow, this fun adventure helps little ones learn about opposites. Bright, friendly and full of farm fun.
Read more
Common questions
What should a 3 year old know before nursery?
There is no checklist to pass. Nurseries expect a wide range. Familiarity with number words to ten, some colour names, and the ability to sit and share a book are all helpful, and all come from ordinary reading together.
How do I keep a 3 year old interested in a book they have heard a hundred times?
Change your role rather than the book. Ask them to tell you what happens next, deliberately get something wrong so they correct you, or count the animals on a page you usually skip past.
Also worth a look
Books for 2 year olds
What makes a picture book work for a two year old, and the Creative Owl books best suited to that age — simple counting and colours with familiar animals.
Books for nurseries and early years settings
Creative Owl picture books for nursery, pre-school and reception: uncluttered layouts built for group reading, mapped to Early Years maths and communication goals.
Picture books as gifts for toddlers
Choosing a picture book as a present for a 2–5 year old: what to look for, how to pick between counting, colours and opposites, and which Creative Owl book suits which child.
How to teach a toddler to count to 10
A practical guide to teaching counting to children aged 2–5: what rote counting really is, why one-to-one correspondence matters more, and simple things to do at home.
Teaching colours to toddlers
How and when children learn colour names, why matching comes before naming, and simple ways to build colour vocabulary with a 2–4 year old.
Teaching opposites to toddlers
Why opposites are such an effective early learning concept, which pairs to start with, and how side-by-side pictures do most of the teaching for you.