Favorite Picture Books for Fall

What better way to celebrate fall than with picture books?! 

After a hot, dry summer, we've had a deluge of rain recently. One day, we had 0.8" of rain in 24-hours! My kids have been out playing in the rain a fair bit, but we've also been spending more time inside reading books.



So, here are my autumn-themed picture book recommendations. I've split them out into two sections. The first section has books focused on trees, changing colors and general seasonal changes. The second one lists books about pumpkins and fall celebrations, both fiction and nonfiction.

One of my own books has a fall/seasons theme as well. Can a Tree Be Blue? explores all the colors that a tree can be, while also showing how trees change throughout the year. I've included a link at the end of the post with some extra resources you can use either alongside the book or on their own. 

Read on--and feel free to leave your own favorites in the comments!

(This list includes affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn a small fee from qualifying purchases. There is no additional cost to purchasers to use these links.)

Fall, Leaves & Nature Exploration:

  • Travelling Seeds, by Rebecca Bielawski – When a pear falls from its tree, where will it go and how will it get there? Learn about seeds and how they travel in this fun nature story. 
  • Lu, the Little Ladybug and the Great Winter, by Yuliya Barannikova, illustrated by Bohdana Bondar – Winter is coming, but Lu isn’t ready for it and doesn’t know what to do. How will Lu survive the coldest season of the year? 
  • Nature Parade, by Nikki Samuels illustrated by Martina Heiduczek – Leaves whirling and twirling, a rock rolling in the rhythm of the woods, birds and bees, and a chorus of magnificent sights and sounds. Explore the sounds of the woods with this onomatopoeic adventure. 
  • Awesome Autumn, by Bruce Goldstone – a fun nonfiction look at seasonal changes, favorite fall foods and activities, and more.
  • Fletcher and the Falling Leaves, by Julia Rawlinson, illustrated by Tiphanie Beek – a sweet story about a young fox learning to understand and appreciate the seasons. 
  • Counting on Fall, by Lizann Flatt, illustrated by Ashley Barron – a whimsical counting book that introduces early elementary-age kids to math concepts through nature. 
  • Fall Mixed Up, by Robert Raczka, illustrated by Chad Cameron – what could possibly get out of place in the fall? A mixed-up story about fall fun. 
  • Hello, Fall!, by Deborah Diesen, illustrated by Lucy Fleming – a story about a family exploring fall together and enjoying the sights and sounds of the season. 


  • Goodbye Summer, Hello Autumn, by Kenard Pak – a lyrical meeting up summer and fall, as a young girl explores nature and watches the weather changing. 
  • Leaf Man, by Lois Ehlert – leaf man, made from leaves, is off on a trip. This is a fantastic, frolicking story that encourages creativity and imagination. 
  • The Very Last Leaf, by Stef Wade, illustrated by Jennifer Davison - a story about a young leaf who excels at school, but worries about the very last requirement . . . falling. 
  • Leif and the Fall, by Allison Sweet Grant and Adam Grant, illustrated by Merrilee Liddiard – a humorous story about a leaf learning to let go and try something new. 
  • We're Going on a Leaf Hunt, by Steve Metzger, illustrated by Miki Sakamoto – a group of friends sets out on a lively adventure, looking for fall leaves. 
  • Apples and Pumpkins, by Anne Rockwell, illustrated by Lizzy Rockwell – a fun, simple story about picking apples and finding a pumpkin. 
  • Leaves, by David Ezra Stein – a young bear is worried . . . why is the tree losing its leaves? 
  • Fall Leaves, by Loretta Holland, illustrated by Elly MacKay – a lovely look at the season’s changes, combined short simple lines that a toddler could enjoy with a long explanation for older readers. 
  • The Leaf Thief, by Alice Hemming, illustrated by Nicola Slater – Squirrel is worried when one of his precious leaves disappears. What happened to it? Could someone have stolen it? 

 

Pumpkins, Parties, and Holiday Celebrations:

  • Strega Nona’s Harvest, by Tomie dePaola - Strega Nona plants her garden in an orderly way, just like she always does. But, just as he always does, Big Anthony grows too impatient to wait for harvest!
  • Pumpkin Soup, by Helen Cooper – three friends make soup together, but then duck disappears! Could he have fallen into the soup? 
  • The Roll-Away Pumpkin, by Junia Wonders, illustrated by Daniela Volpari – a lively adventure as a young girl tries to catch her run-away pumpkin. 
  • The Pumpkin Books, by Gail Gibbons – everything kids could want to know about pumpkins, how they grow, and how we use them. 
  • Pumpkin Jack, by Will Hubbel – a beautiful story of a jack-o-lantern’s change and decay, ending in rebirth.
  • How Many Seeds in a Pumpkin?, by Margaret McNamara, illustrated by G. Brian Karas – when Charlie feels out of place as the smallest kid in his class, his teacher assigns a math problem to all of the students. 
  • The Autumn Visitors, by Karel Hayes – a whimsical adventures about three bears off to enjoy a New England fall. 
  • I Don’t Want to Be Scary on Halloween, by Gina Gallois, illustrated by Anastasia Khmelevska - Poppy Opossum does NOT want to be scary on Halloween, but can she find the perfect costume in time to go trick-or-treating? 

Fall Kids Activities:

It may not be a picture book, but if you are exploring fall themes, I highly recommend Look What I Did with a Leaf!, by Morteza E. Sohi to find fun ideas for creating art using leaves! 

For a picture book that builds kids activities into the story, check out Autumn Song: A Day in the Life of a Kid, by Annette Kotowicz, illustrated by Nina Ezhik. 

And, if you're looking for activity pages or a lesson plan/unit study, check out these resources that I created to accompany Can a Tree Be Blue?.

What are your favorite fall picture books? Feel free to add your own recommendations in the comments!


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