Fall Picture Books

Fall is in the air… okay, maybe it doesn’t actually feel like Fall yet, but if you walk into my house you will be convinced that Fall has already started! As soon as we start back to school every year I’m ready to pull out the Fall decorations and clothes and start making pumpkin recipes; I love everything about Fall, and since Summer is my least favorite season, I’m more than ready for the transition. But my family’s absolute favorite part of Fall is the seasonal picture books. I keep these put away the rest of the year and only bring them out in the Fall; reading them each year has become a rhythm in our season, something that marks that time of year in the same way that decorating the tree does in December. If you haven’t added a seasonal reading rhythm to your home, I suggest you start now! Listed below are our family’s Fall picture books; we started with a handful when our oldest kids were tiny and have added a few each year until we now have so many that they take up almost an entire storage tote by themselves. Hopefully you’ll find something on this list to enjoy with your kiddos this year!

1. In the Middle of Fall by Kevin Henkes: this is a sweet board book about the changes that come in Fall; I love the illustrations and colors in this one.

2. Poppy and Sam’s Halloween Party by Sam Taplin: we have all the Poppy and Sam books from Paper Pie and each of my kids have gone through a season around age two or three where they were OBSESSED with them.

3. Leaves by David Ezra Stein: Bear is worried when the leaves all fall off the tree; he tries to fix it unsuccessfully and ends up falling asleep. When he wakes in the Spring, the new leaves are there to welcome him.

4. Orange Pear Apple Bear by Emily Gravett: One of those simply sweet stories where the illustrations tell most of the story. Even my big girls still love this!

5. Seed By Seed by Esmé Raji Codell: Any legend of Johnny Appleseed is super fun to read in Fall, especially if you can pair it with a trip to the apple orchard!

6. Apple Picking Time by Michele Benoit Slawson: Slawson tells a beautiful story of a family’s tradition of picking apples together each year in a way that will make you feel like you’re there.

7. Thankful by Eileen Spinelli: A perfect read for Thanksgiving time.

8. Four Friends In Autumn by Tomie DePaola: Tomie DePaola is often considered the standard of picture book authors. Four friends are having dinner and wonder will it ever be time to eat?

9. Thanks for Thanksgiving by Julie Markes: This one has a page in the back where you can add what your family is thankful for each year!

10. Fletcher and the Falling Leaves by Julia Rawlinson: If your family doesn’t have any Fletcher books, you need to get some! Similar to Leaves by David Ezra Stein (listed above), Fletcher is worried when the leaves fall off the trees.

11. God Gave Us Thankful Hearts by Lisa Tawn Bergren: This is another series of books I think should be on every family’s bookshelf. We first read God Gave Us You by the same author with our oldest when she was very little, and have since added God Gave Us Two, God Gave Us Christmas, God Gave Us Easter, and God Gave Us Thankful Hearts. In this one Little Pup learns to recognize his blessings even when it seems like there are none.

12. A Turkey For Thanksgiving by Eve Bunting: Mrs. Moose just really wants a turkey for thanksgiving, so Mr. Moose tries to find one. The other animals join in and are confused when Turkey keeps running away. Eve Bunting’s stories are always delightful, and this is no exception.

13. Little Blue Truck’s Halloween by Alice Schertle: Little Blue Truck is one of my son’s favorites; these rhythmic books never get boring to read aloud.

14. The Apple Pie That Papa Baked by Lauren Thompson: Join the main character as they trace back everything that led to their apple pie, all the way back to the world the apple tree grew in.

15. How To Make An Apple Pie and See the World by Marjorie Priceman: What happens when the market is closed and you want to bake an apple pie? Obviously you head around the world to get the ingredients you need!

16. It’s Halloween by Jack Prelutsky: My kids’ favorite way to read poetry is through silly poems (Shel Silverstein is another favorite). This collection is just spooky enough to be fun, not scary.

17. Flora’s Very Windy Day by Jeanne Birdsall: Flora challenges the crisp Fall wind to carry off her little brother, then has to save him. I like to sneak this one in when my kids are complaining about their siblings more than usual; sometimes books teach the best lessons!

18. 2x2= Boo! By Loreen Leedy: A book with the tagline A Set of Spooky Multiplication Stories may not seem like fun, but I guarantee this will be a more effective multiplication lesson for your kids than another worksheet!

19. Monster Hide and Seek: A cute lift-the-flap board book perfect for your littles.

20. After Dark by David L. Harrison: Not technically a Fall book at first glance, but these poems about nocturnal animals will definitely put you in mind of spooky Fall nights.

21. Too Many Pumpkins by Linda White: This is my all-time favorite Fall book. Rebecca Estelle hates pumpkins because that was all her family had to eat growing up, so she refuses to plant them in her garden. When some grow by mistake and end up taking over her yard she learns to love pumpkins again.

22. Ten Apples Up On Top by Dr. Seuss: I recently reread this to all four kids, and I could practically see the wheels turning in the two-year-old’s head; maybe don’t keep apples on hand when reading this unless you want to see your kids have balancing competitions 😂.

23. Thank You, Sarah by Laurie Halse Anderson: The true story of Sarah Hale who convinced President Lincoln to make Thanksgiving a national holiday during the Civil War in an effort to restore unity to our nation.

24. How Many Seeds In a Pumpkin? by Margaret McNamara: You might think the biggest pumpkins have the most seeds, but then again you might be surprised…

25. The Seasons of Arnold’s Apple Tree by Gail Gibbons: A look at the changes an apple tree goes through in each of the seasons. Gail Gibbons is one of those household names that immediately convince my kids they’re going to like a book.

26. Balloons Over Broadway by Melissa Sweet: I had no idea how the Macy’s Day parade originated until reading this wonderful picture book biography. If your family doesn’t already watch the parade on television on Thanksgiving Day, I guarantee you will want to start after reading this book. My kids have actually begun leveraging a campaign to go to New York City to watch the parade in person after reading this book three years in a row!

27. Goodbye Summer, Hello Autumn by Kenard Pak: If you take nothing else from this list, I’m going to insist you go by all four of Pak’s books (one for each seasonal transition) and read them every year at the start of the season. There’s something about the simple language and illustrations that just make it feel like Fall as soon as you read this.

Happy Fall and happy reading!