According to the calendar, fall has not officially arrived, but the weather around here is trying to prove otherwise! The rain and cooler temperatures are keeping us indoors more, but that’s okay, because we have SO MANY wonderful fall books to enjoy! Reading is one of our favorite ways to spend time together as a family, especially during the cooler months. We love to snuggle up under a cozy blanket and leisurely read through a big stack of books next to us– it’s truly the perfect way to spend an afternoon. Over the years we have collected a vast library of seasonal stories, and we’re elated to share some of our very favorite fall books for kids with you! (Be sure to check out our link to our Pinterest Board with lots of great fall books at the bottom of the post!)
Sophie’s Squash This is, perhaps, my all time favorite picture book. Yes, that is a bold statement from this book-loving mama, but that just tells you how much I LOVE it! A darling story about the power of love and friendship, every word is absolute perfection, and each time I read it I find myself wishing I’d had the brilliance to think it up myself! One crisp fall morning Sophie visits the farmers market with her parents and finds a squash. Her parents intend to cook it for supper, but imaginative Sophie names the squash Bernice and wants to keep it as a playmate–
It was just the right size to hold in her arms. Just the right size to bounce on her knee. Just the right size to love. “I’m glad we met,” Sophie whispered. “Good friends are hard to find.”
I mean really?! Could it get any sweeter than that?! Whimsical, creative, sentimental, and featuring a strong female protagonist who knows what she wants and isn’t afraid to follow her heart, even when others don’t quite understand. It’s a gem of a book.
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We’ve been reading Sophie’s Squash to Isla since she was 11 months old. I love seeing how she identifies so strongly with Sophie. She even started asking for her own “quash” when she was just 2, and chose one at the farm stand when we went apple picking today! Within minutes of arriving home it already had a face!
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Yellow Time Just before yellow time the earth smells different. Like wet mud and dry grass with a sprinkle of sugar. Ummm, exactly! Yellow Time is vibrant and lyrical celebration of the leaves changing and the earth preparing for winter. Paired with the bold and energetic illustrations, this book is an easy fall favorite. We have several trees near our home that turn bright yellow, and lots of crows that inhabit them, so Isla especially loves making the real life-text connection with this story.
Let It Fall This is one of a 4-book series that highlights the magic and excitement of each season. Every book follows the same rhyming pattern. We have all four books and love them each of them!
Red Are The Apples Bursting with bright, vibrant illustrations that show unique perspectives, this rhyming book takes you through a colorful fall garden that is about to be harvested.
Mr. Putter and Tabby Pick the Pears Oh, Mr. Putter and Tabby. They are simply our favorite duo in the world of children’s literature! Do you know about their delightful series yet? If not, you are missing out! These stories are perfect for early fluent readers and also wonderful for parent read aloud times. In this story, juicy things are growing in Mr. Putter’s yard. He wants to make pear jelly, but his old legs are too cranky to climb up the latter, so he is unable to pick his pears– until he comes up with a very clever solution! Mr Putter and Tabby Stir the Soup and Mr. Putter and Tabby Ring the Bell are other fall favorites of ours!
Perfect Pumpkins This is a great non-fiction text for young readers. It provides general pumpkin facts, the pumpkin life cycle, shares different ways pumpkins are used, and has a variety of photographs and simple diagrams. This is part of the Science Vocabulary Readers that you can often find on the Scholastic order forms your kiddos bring home from school. Used copies are available on Amazon.
Autumn: An Alphabet Acrostic This is unlike any of our other books– a collection of acrostic poems that work through the alphabet and describe the fall season. The bold linoleum cut illustrations are absolutely stunning! I recently discovered there are Winter, Spring and Summer Alphabet Acrostic books as well, so I look forward to adding them to our library as the seasons change this next year.
How Many Seeds in a Pumpkin? This story takes me right back to my teaching days! Mr. Tiffin provides his students with a hands-on experiment to determine how many seeds are in a pumpkin. Students make hypotheses, get their hands dirty cleaning out the pumpkins, and practice their skip counting skills with the seeds (I actually did this same project with my students when I taught 1st grade!). This is an engaging and educational read, especially for science-minded kiddos.
Favorite Fall Board Books
These books are perfect for babies and toddlers, and still very enjoyable for older kids… and their mothers. Yes, I’ll admit I love reading all of these board books!
Leaves This is a darling story about a bear who experiences his very first autumn. When the leaves start falling from the trees he becomes very concerned, but after his winter nap he is thrilled to be greeted by the new leaves of springtime. It’s a sweet, simple story and the illustrations are wonderfully charming. Leaves is the prequel to our favorite new summer book, Honey.
Apple Pie ABC Quite possibly the most adorable ABC book that ever existed! This simple story follows along with an adorable (and determined) little dog’s quest to get an apple pie. The illustrations are darling too!
I Love Fall This sweet touch-and-feel board book introduces babies and toddlers to the textures of fall– wooly scarves, smooth pumpkins, and crunchy dry leaves– while you follow along with a little girl who is collecting items for her fall basket. I cannot even tell you the number of times we have read this book!
The Busy Little Squirrel As leaves are falling and the air is getting colder, Squirrel is preparing for winter. Other animals ask him to join them in their activities, but Squirrel is too busy. With a simple, repetitive pattern, your little one will quickly recite portions of the book along with you!
You Are My Little Pumpkin Pie A darling rhyming book where parents compare the sweetest qualities of their children to pumpkin pie. Isla absolutely adored this book as a baby (and still does!). It’ll leave you feeling warm and cozy– and likely craving a slice of pumpkin pie!
These wonderful titles just a small selection of our favorite fall books… just a slice of the pie, if you will. We’ve put together THIS PINTEREST BOARD to share many, many more with you!
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You can also check out our Favorite Summer Books for Kids. Our favorite Halloween and Thanksgiving book suggestions will be coming soon!
Friends, do you have any favorite fall books that you don’t see here? Please share titles in the comments!
