It’s that time of the year again. The time of the year when mornings are crisp, when sun shines onto yellow or orange leaves, and when this mama makes all things pumpkin (or drinks a plethora of PSL’s).
Since moving to Ontario, I have developed a deep love of October and fall and maximizing leaf-viewing time.
I love picking apples, going to the farm for pumpkins, taking endless pictures of red trees and eating pumpkin scones. Clearly, I need to make my kids love this season as much as me. Therefore it’s great that there is an abundance of books about fall. So many, in fact, this post will be in two or three parts to cover them all (because I can’t write about more than ten at one sitting and you probably don’t want to read my ramblings for more than that).
Anyways, grab a blanket (preferably plaid), a cup of tea and your little reader and snuggle in to read my fall favourites.
1. Goodbye Summer, Hello Autumn
by Kenard Pak
Lovely artwork mixed with fun text about all the changes that come in the fall/autumn.
Pete the Badger takes his neat-freak nature a step too far when the autumn leaves begin to fall. Gravett’s usual fantastic illustrations with unique details make this a great read.
I feel like I bring up this series quite frequently and that is because I (a) love them and (b) there is one for each season and holiday. In this one, Mouse discovers fall with his dad and all the fun the season brings.
I absolutely love this sweet book. We were introduced to it via Lilly Post (have you heard of them? A fantastic monthly book subscription for kids based right here in Canada. We love them because all the books come individually wrapped so it’s like a mini-Christmas every month!) and so happy we have it.
Bear is having an absolutely great first summer but is confused when he notices the leaves begin to fall. He is very concerned that they are okay and tries to put them back. Before he can worry too much, his winter sleepiness takes over and he wakes up to a new season. Love the illustrations and the sweet, innocent character.
This is a poetic look at fall. And by poetic, I mean there is one poem per page with titles that all end in ‘fall’ – like FrightFALL, or DutiFALL, or ThankFALL.
Great crisp, clear illustrations and a lovely introduction to poetry.
Slegers is a Dutch author and her books are translated so sometimes the text is a bit clunky or strange for English readers. But all of her books are full of bright and fun illustrations with great lessons for kids.
In this book, Kevin discovers all the delights of fall like raking leaves or finding snails. Kevin collects chestnuts in the forest and then gets cozy inside with his crayons and hot chocolate.
I loved their spring book, Abracadabra, It’s Spring! and this one is the same. Full of fun ‘magical’ words and gorgeous illustrations, it makes fall seem like the best time of the year (which it is . . . after spring).
This is such a fantastic book for inspiring your own leaf art. Each page uses leaves to create the picture: the Leaf Man (of course), a cow, a turkey, ducks on a pond. It’s really creative and unique – perfect for reading before a walk in the leaves.
I’ve always been obsessed with going to the apple orchard and pumpkin patch each fall (my parents used to take me along Henderson Highway & Lockport in Winnipeg growing up) and for reason the Engineer does not like these expeditions. Although since having kids he’s much better at going (side note: adults without kids at the pumpkin patch are sort of odd. I see that now.)
Anyways, in this book, the family heads to the local farm to pick apples and pick a pumpkin – not unlike when we take the kids to Whittamore’s or Applewood here in Toronto. When the little girl gets home, she carves her pumpkin into a Jack-o-Lantern for trick or treating. Therefore this book is great for both fall and Halloween.
A bit repetitive but a good list of all the ways a child knows fall has arrived: raking the leaves, pumpkin muffins for breakfast (a slightly updated version would say ‘I know it’s autumn when mom starts drinking a PSL everyday’), cozy slippers or socks, the school bus, and, of course, picking apples.
It’s a rainy fall day here in Toronto and after making this list I think it is best to go make some hot chocolate and bake our favourite pumpkin chocolate chip cookies, Oh and of course eat some Thanksgiving leftovers! yum yum!
Happy Reading and Happy Fall,
Curious in Wonderland
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