Autumn Picture book recommendations are by Angela Ferraris, The Retired School Librarian.
(The content below contains Amazon affiliate links. When you buy through these links, Mrs. Ferraris may earn an affiliate commission at no additional cost to you. The Retired School Librarian is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. All of these title can be found in my Amazon Storefront under Autumn Picture Books– https://amzn.to/466w5i5 .)
Apples and Pumpkins
by Anne Rockwell (Author), Lizzy Rockwell (Illustrator)
Summary: A young girl, her father, and her mother visit a farm during autumn to pick apples and the perfect pumpkin to make a jack o’ lantern for Halloween.
Comments: This book is ideal for toddlers and preschoolers who are learning about fall traditions.
Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page.
Every Autumn Comes the Bear
by Jim Arnosky (Author)
Summary: A black bear appears each fall in the woods, encountering forest animals like ravens, a bobcat, and a fox along the way before getting ready to hibernate.
Comments: The book is beautifully illustrated with watercolors and is an excellent read-aloud choice for introducing the concepts of hibernation or animal behavior.
Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page.
Fall Leaves
by Loretta Holland (Author), Elly MacKay (Illustrator)
Summary: A boy and a girl walk through the countryside in autumn, observing how nature has transformed and continues to change. They notice how the vibrant orange and yellow tones of autumn are giving way to the cooler gray and blue tones of winter, all illustrated beautifully in the landscape.
Comments: The light-box illustrations are so eye pleasing and really set the whole autumn and winter moods of the book.
There are two sets of text. We see the large print word playing, such as they do with fall and leaves. Underneath is a smaller, detailed print explaining what is happening in Nature as it is changing.
This STEM picture book is a superb addition to any library.
Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page.
Fletcher and the Falling Leaves
by Julia Rawlinson (Author), Tiphanie Beeke (Illustrator)
Summary: Fletcher, a young fox, is very worried about a tree that is losing all of its leaves. He believes the tree is sick, so he gathers the fallen leaves and even tries to reattach them. His mother explains to him that this is the tree’s way of preparing for winter. After taking a nap, the little fox wakes up to see the tree’s new, beautiful winter appearance.
Comments: The lovely watercolor illustrations match the mood and changing seasons.
Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page.
Goodbye Summer, Hello Autumn
by Kenard Pak (Author, Illustrator)
Summary: A girl with her dog walks through the town and country, talking to the nature around them as the summer season changes to autumn. She says goodbye to summer and welcomes autumn.
Comments: The illustrations complement the changing seasons and create the tone of each season.
This is a season series by Kenard Pak. I recommend all four. More information about them can be found on the series’ Amazon page.
Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page.
In November
by Cynthia Rylant (Author), Jill Kastner (Illustrator)
Summary: Various animals prepare for the oncoming winter season by gathering food, while humans gather inside, especially for Thanksgiving.
Comments: This is an autumn-to-winter transitional book with cozy illustrations. The smells and sounds of November are incorporated. This book was one that teachers shared with their students each fall.
Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page.
In the Middle of Fall
by Kevin Henkes (Author), Laura Dronzek (Illustrator)
Summary: A child and dog are being observed by a squirrel as they walk, noticing fall all around them, the leaves, pumpkins, apples, and slowly transforming to winter.
Comments: The text captures the essence of autumn days by focusing on vocabulary related to the season.
Perfect for little ones in toddler and kindergarten.
This is a season series with the titles as In the Middle of Fall, Winter Is Here, When Spring Comes, and Summer Song.
Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page.
Pumpkin Jack
by Will Hubbell (Author, Illustrator)
Summary: A boy’s carved pumpkin decays and transforms through the seasons into new growth.
Comments: This is an engaging introduction to the life cycle of plants and the concept of decomposition.
Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page.
It’s Pumpkin Time!
by Zoe Hall (Author), Shari Halpern (Illustrator)
Summary: Two siblings plant pumpkin seeds and learn to care for them by watering and weeding throughout the summer until autumn, when they ripen just in time for Halloween.
Comments: This is an excellent book for science tie-ins about plant life cycles.
Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page.
Leaf Man
by Lois Ehlert (Author, Illustrator)
Summary: Leaves in the autumn wind turn into Leaf Man, who travels on the breeze over marshes, orchards, and farms. Other leaves change into other forms along the way.
Comments: This book would be the perfect inspiration for leaf art projects. Read this first and have the students go out gathering leaves for their leaf creatures.
Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page.
The Scarecrow
by Beth Ferry (Author), Eric Fan (Illustrator), Terry Fan (Illustrator)
Summary: A lonely scarecrow helps an injured baby crow recover. Once the crow is well, it leaves. The scarecrow is alone again until the following spring when the crow returns with its mate. Together, they build a nest in the scarecrow. Soon, the scarecrow finds itself with a family..
Comments: Stunning illustrations with a lovely theme of compassion and kindness.
Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page.
Red Leaf, Yellow Leaf
by Lois Ehlert (Author, Illustrator)
Summary: A child tells the story of his sugar maple tree. He shares how it started growing in the woods and eventually became a sapling. It was then harvested and sold at a garden center, and finally, it came home with him to live and grow in his yard. The child describes how the tree changes with each season, with fall being his favorite time when the leaves turn vibrant shades of red and yellow.
Comments: This is ideal for science lessons about trees and life cycles. The illustrations are collages, which is Lois Ehlert’s specialty.
Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page.
Strega Nona’s Harvest
by Tomie dePaola (Author, Illustrator)
Summary: Strega Nona teaches Big Anthony about planting, harvesting, and sharing food. However, he decides to plant his own garden behind the shed and does not listen to his grandmother, a witch. As a result, his magical garden overgrows with an abundant amount of bounty.
Comments: This story connects gardening with responsibility and generosity. It reminds me how everyone in my neighborhood would share their surplus vegetables.
Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page.
The Pumpkin Book
by Gail Gibbons (Author)
Summary: This nonfiction picture book explains the life cycle, history, and uses of pumpkins.
Comments: This book is excellent for science or seasonal lessons, providing children with factual knowledge through colorful visuals. The author creates all of the visuals for this nonfiction book using watercolors.
Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page.
The Biggest Pumpkin Ever
by Steven Kroll (Author), Jeni Bassett (Illustrator)
Summary: Clayton, a house mouse, is eager to win the town’s biggest pumpkin contest, while Desmond, a field mouse, hopes to carve the largest jack-o’-lantern possible. Unbeknownst to each other, they both select the same pumpkin to nurture. As a result, the pumpkin grows larger than all the others.
Comments: A fun story that highlights cooperation and sharing, a great read aloud.
Details and buying options are on this book’s Amazon page.
The selected children’s books are chosen by a certified, retired elementary school librarian who passionately reads and recommends picture books to teachers, school librarians, parents, grandparents, and other book enthusiasts.
Most of the books Mrs. Ferraris recommends are checked out from the public library. The only exception is for the complimentary copies that she receives for an honest review, which are duly noted.
