Autumn Picture Book List

What comes to mind when we think of autumn? Why leaves, apples, pumpkins and ghosts, of course! Here are seven selections that AB and I have picked up recently from the library in celebration of autumn.

1.  Let It Fall by Maryann Cocca-Leffler

A pleasant jaunt with a family through the fall season from raking leaves to apple picking to harvest festivals, its all there.  For such a simple story it backs a lot in and is a great jumping off point for discussing autumn with the kiddo, not to mention suggestions for fun fall activities.

2.  Amelia Bedelia’s First Apple Pie written by Herman Parish, illustrated by Lynne Avril

Who doesn’t love Amelia Bedelia?  Well, me.  I never really got into the whole maid/nanny genre when I was younger.  So the Amelia Bedelia phenomenon was lost on me, until this reboot featuring a young Amelia Bedelia by the nephew of the series creator. Little Miss Bedelia saves the day when the apple pie she bakes with her grandmother is eaten by birds.  It also includes educational bites about farmer’s markets and the various kinds of kinds of apples.  Bonus:  An apple pie recipe!

3.  Ducking for Apples written by Lynne Berry, illustrated by Hiroe Nakata

A charming rhyming tale about five ducks going on a bike ride stumble upon an apple tree perfect for picking. Highlights counting and some fun vocabulary as well.

4.  The Biggest Apple Ever written by Steven Kroll, illustrated by Jeni Bassett

Competition turns into cooperation as two mice come up with a clever way to win a contest to bring to class the biggest apple.

5.  The Perfect Pumpkin Pie written by Denys Cazet

I do believe that this one is AB’s favorite. This is a ghost story about mean Mr.  Wilkerson who dies while eating pie.  He is doomed to haunt his house until he tastes the perfect pie.  The illustrations are fittingly ghastly. The poems of the ghosts are just begging to be read in your spookiest voice. The repetition gets the kiddos ready involved as they anticipate what is coming next.  

6. Ghosts in the House by Kazuno Kahara

This fun story about how a creative little witch repurposes the ghosts who are haunting her new house.  This is a ghost story for the little one who wants to get in on the Halloween fun but is not too keen on the scary part.  

7. The Very Best Pumpkin written by Mark Kimball Moulton, illustrated by Karen Hillard Good

This is a lovely tale about a boy who lives on a farm with his grandparents. He tends lovingly to a smaller pumpkin which grows to be quite a large pumpkin. The new girl has been watching him care for this pumpkin and he decides that it is the perfect pumpkin for her. The best illustration is one with the little girl reading The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett.  I would love to be able to frame it and hang it on the wall above AB’s reading nook.

Happy Reading!