3 Interactive Storybook Apps for Playful Early Math Learning

Math, reading, and play come together in three free storybook apps designed to support young children’s early math learning.


Math, reading, and play come together in three free storybook apps designed to support young children’s early math learning. 

The books follow the adventures of three charming monsters—Oona, Tigga, and Marluk—as they explore and implement early math concepts to solve basic everyday life math problems (like figuring out how many frogs are left after some jump away). The stories help children, as parents and caregivers guide them, learn about numbers and problem-solving through fun, meaningful challenges.

Brought to you by Professor Ginsboo’s Magical Math Production Company, the interactive storybooks are based on decades of research—mine and that of many others too.

Monster Music Factory focuses on different methods for figuring out the number of objects in a collection as the monsters collect instruments for a concert.

Monster Birthday Surprise shows how numbers can be expressed in many ways, such as objects, dots, and symbols, as the monsters prepare for a surprise birthday party.

Monster Frog Pond teaches important ideas about addition and subtraction, and how words, written numbers, and symbols can be used to express these ideas, as the monsters care for naughty frogs in a pond.

Download Free Apps

The apps are designed for either an iPad (iOS) or a Galaxy or similar tablet (Android). Available to download for free from the App Store and Google Play.

Monster Music Factory

Monster Birthday Surprise

Monster Frog Pond


About the Author

Herbert Ginsburg is the Jacob H. Schiff Foundation Professor Emeritus of Psychology and Education at Teachers College, Columbia University.