At the back of most of his books, Mr. Anno gives us suggestions for how they might be used to strengthen math reasoning and concepts. Regular readers of this column are going to think it's the only book I know because I cite it so often, but it's so useful. Math concepts in it include diminishing size and estimation. He also has a mathematically literate mouse assistant. So, to be sure there are enough candies, Alphonse starts counting and eating and, as the numbers grow larger on the mouse's charts, the bowl grows emptier.
Mathematical activities abound.
Baba's attempt, successful as it turns out, to get the little girl over her fear of thunderstorms is to make a thunder cake. When you hear the thunder, stop counting. That number is how many miles away the storm is. Well, first find out if that's true. Weather books should help and may lead you off on a tangent for a while.