My Favorite Children’s Picture Books to Read in Fall
As summer slowly fades to fall with each gust of wind and drift of falling leaves, one great way to welcome the signs of the coming season is by reading fall-themed books.
Summer will always be my favorite season, but I must admit that fall has an irresistible charm. I love watching the leaves change colors, apple-picking with the kids, and sitting around the campfire as a family.
One of the best things about this season is that it draws us inside. For our family, this means more time reading together. That’s why I’m sharing a list of our favorite autumn-themed books so that you can enjoy them with your kids too!
So gather your little ones, grab a cozy blanket, and savor the beautiful harvest season!
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Countdown to Fall by Fran Hawk, Illustrated by Sherry Neidligh
The beautiful illustrations in this number-counting book show the different types of leaves and animals children will see in nature. Pine cones, squirrels, gold leaves of the Dogwood tree, Maple helicopters, and more! This is a fun book to use for a Nature Study lesson or a fall hike!
- Fran Hawk (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 32 Pages – 03/03/2013 (Publication Date) – Arbordale Publishing (Publisher)
The Pumpkin Runner by Marsha Diane Arnold, pictures by Brad Sneed
Inspired by the true story of a 61-year-old farmer who won a foot race against well-trained athletes in 1983, this children’s book is a great addition to a home library. Joshua Summerhayes ran several kilometers every day caring his cattle, sustained mostly by his food of choice, pumpkins! On a whim he decided to register for the Koala-K Race, a 900 kilometer competition against professional runners. He surprised the world when word got out on the third day of the race that “the sheep rancher wearing overalls and gumboots was leading the race.” This sweet story is an autumn book you don’t want to miss!
- Hardcover Book
- Arnold, Marsha Diane (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 32 Pages – 09/01/1998 (Publication Date) – Dial Books (Publisher)
We’re Going on a Bear Hunt by Michael Rosen and Helen Oxenbury
This sweet story is wonderful to read to very young children because of the repeated patterns and captivating sounds. “Swishy-swashy, squelch squerch, and stumble trip” all perfectly describe the sounds the characters experience as they adventure to find a bear.
- Rosen, Michael (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 36 Pages – 01/01/2003 (Publication Date) – Alladin Paperbacks (Publisher)
Leaf Man by Lois Ehlert
Leaf man is one of the best fall books to take with you on a nature hike or to use along with a Nature Study Notebook. When you read Leaf Man to your children, they will learn to identify trees by their leaves. Take them on a leaf hunt and together you can make pictures out of the leaves you find.
- Hardcover Book
- Ehlert, Lois (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 40 Pages – 09/01/2005 (Publication Date) – Harcourt (Publisher)
The Oxcart Man by Donald Hall, pictures by Barbara Cooney
As children read this story, they will learn the old ways of living off the family homestead. This family makes and grows goods to use or sell at the market in Octorber. Mother and daughter spin yarn shorn from their sheep. They make it into mittens and a shawl. Father and son make birch brooms and shingles from wood. They save potatoes, apples, honey, and maple sugar (all grown at home) to trade for other goods. I love how this book teaches children economics in a subtle lesson. They learn where goods come from and how they can be exchanged for other items.
- Donald Hall (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 40 Pages – 10/27/1983 (Publication Date) – Puffin Books (Publisher)
Pumpkin Pumpkin by Jeanne Titherington
This simple story shows the life cycle of a pumpkin from seed to fruit. The boy Jamie plants the seed. He watches it sprout, flower, and grow. With his perfect pumpkin, he makes a pumpkin jack…but he remembers to save a few seeds for planting next year!
- Titherington, Jeanne (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 24 Pages – 09/21/1990 (Publication Date) – Greenwillow Books (Publisher)
Goodbye Summer, Hello Autumn by Kenard Pak
As the last few days of summer slowly fade, what is changing around us? Animals are scurrying to store up for winter. All the critters are making nests and dens. A chilly wind blows through the trees. Flowers bend into the sun to soak up the last bit of warmth. Leaves are changing from green to lovely purples, red, and yellows. The unmistakable beauty of this book is the subtle yet colorful passage from green tones to vibrant hues.
- Hardcover Book
- Pak, Kenard (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 32 Pages – 08/16/2016 (Publication Date) – Henry Holt and Co. (BYR) (Publisher)
Bear Snores On by Karma Wilson, illustrated by Jane Chapman
“In a cave in the woods, in his deep dark lair, through the long cold winter sleeps a great brown bear.” This story begins with bear settling down to hibernate as the cold weather blows in. While bear snores on, his forest friends slowly gather in the cave to join him with a warming fire, tea, and popcorn.
- Hardcover Book
- Wilson, Karma (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 32 Pages – 01/01/2002 (Publication Date) – Margaret K. McElderry Books (Publisher)
Pick a Pumpkin, Mrs. Millie by Judy Cox, illustrated by Joe Mathieu
My three-year-old just adores the Mrs. Millie books, so I can not leave this one out! Silly Mrs. Milly, always mixing words up…”Today we are going to the pumpkin pets.” But the children always correct her, “Don’t be silly, Mrs. Millie! You mean the pumpkin patch!” This is a great book for young children who think Mrs. Millie’s mistakes are hilarious.
- Amazon Kindle Edition
- Cox, Judy (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 32 Pages – 02/06/2012 (Publication Date) – Two Lions (Publisher)
Red Leaf, Yellow Leaf by Lois Ehlert
Follow the life of a sugar maple tree from seed to full tree in this simple book. I like how each page shows labels like the maple tree seed, Black-capped Chickadee, and other notable details. Don’t miss the maple tree’s most glorious moment at the close of summer when its fall foliage is displayed. Similar to book ends, a cut out of a red leaf and a little yellow leaf adorn the beginning and end of the story. At the end of the book Lois Ehlert gives directions for planting a tree, making a bird treat, and other interesting tree facts.
- Ehlert, Lois (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 40 Pages – 06/13/2023 (Publication Date) – Clarion Books (Publisher)
In November by Cynthia Rylant, illustrated by Jill Kastner
In this warming story, young readers will watch creatures and people hunker down for the long cold months ahead. Join them as they taste, feel, smell, and hear the changes in the world around them to herald a new season. In November is a wonderful book to read in any month during fall season.
- Rylant, Cynthia (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 26 Pages – 09/01/2008 (Publication Date) – Clarion Books (Publisher)
Johnny Appleseed by Steven Kellog
In this classic American folktale retold and illustrated by Steven Kellog, kids learn about the life of Johnny Appleseed. Follow Johnny from his birthplace in Massachusetts to the Allegheny Mountains in Pennsylvania as he plants apple orchards among the pioneer families. I thought it was interesting to learn that many of these family bought his apple trees along their travels. This only encouraged him to adventure even farther west to Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, and other states. Many of Johnny’s stories were exaggerated which is the part kids tend to like the most!
- Hardcover Book
- Kellogg, Steven (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 48 Pages – 08/22/1988 (Publication Date) – HarperCollins (Publisher)
Autumn Story by Jill Barklem
Jill Barklem’s stories of Brambly Hedge have such beautiful illustrations. They are among my favorite books for young children, and Autumn Story is one of the best. Barklem’s pictures have so many tiny details. It is fun to sit and simply look at the pictures! Join Lord Woodmouse and Primrose in this story as they go berry-picking in the countryside. Friends and family come to pick nuts and gather mushrooms with them when suddenly Primrose is missing! After an eventful day, Primrose is found and brought safely back home to the warmth of the fire and familiar faces.
- Hardcover Book
- Barklem, Jill (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 32 Pages – 06/13/2017 (Publication Date) – HarperCollinsChildren’sBooks (Publisher)
Hello, Harvest Moon by Ralph Fletcher, illustrated by Kate Kiesler
Have you ever noticed how big the moon looks at twilight at the end of a beautiful fall day? Hello, harvest moon! This sweet book describes the effects of moonshine on the earth below, highlighting nature in autumn: milkweed pods, geese, luna moths, moonflower blossoms, a garden spider. *Note: A reference is made to our ancestors worshipping the harvest moon.
- Fletcher, Ralph (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 32 Pages – 09/05/2017 (Publication Date) – Clarion Books (Publisher)
As the sight of falling leaves and the smell of apple pie usher in a new season, this list of fall books is a fun way to introduce your kids to the changing of the seasons. Cozy up with warm blankets by the fire and read aloud to your heart’s content!
Happy autumn!
