One of Oliver’s favorite things to do is read books. Whether it’s flipping through board books on his own or having story time cuddled up on our laps and a cozy blanket, his love for books is clear. It’s the one thing I don’t feel bad spending money on, and I know we can donate them to our local library when he outgrows them. Earlier in September I researched some Autumn books that are Montessori aligned, to get excited about the changing of seasons. (Check this post for why we stick to Montessori friendly books.) Most of the books I’m going to share are focused more on autumn, nature and celebrations verses Halloween. After a few weeks of reading the books together, I wanted to share what I think are the best fall books for toddlers. Oliver has really gravitated toward these and I hope your child(ren) love them too!
The Roll-Away Pumpkin
The Roll-Away Pumpkin has to be one of his favorites from the bunch. It is about a sweet little girl who is chasing a giant pumpkin all throughout the town. Some others in the neighborhood join in to help her catch the big pumpkin. The illustrations are so beautiful in this one.
Bella’s Fall Coat
Such a sweet book about a little girl who loves the coat her grandma made for her, but now it’s too small. She doesn’t want to let it go, but as fall turns into winter, she finds the perfect use for it.
Where’s the Pumpkin?
Where’s the Pumpkin is a simple board book great for independent time or reading together. Oliver loves spotting all the animals and helping Spook the cat find the perfect pumpkin. Oliver has also been very into cats lately, and the cat looks just like this toy one he has. He clutches it every time he looks through the pages. So adorable!
Pumpkin Jack
Get into the spirit of spooky season with Pumpkin Jack and getting some jack-o-latern inspiration. The book shows what happens to pumpkins over time and how it changed after Tim set it out in his garden.
How Many Seeds in a Pumpkin? (Mr. Tiffin’s Classroom Series)
Oliver is into counting everything on the pages of books these days, so How Many Seeds in a Pumpkin? was a hit. Join in on this classroom as they guess how many seeds are in small, medium and big pumpkins. This one is more lengthy than the other books, so it’s a good read along option for now, with Oliver being so young. As he gets older I think he’ll enjoy it even more.
Hello, World! How Do Apples Grow?
Another great board book for toddlers, following along all the steps of how an apple grows. I relearned a thing or two myself while reading Ollie this book. Shows all the parts of an apple, apples in an orchard, all the things you could make with apples, etc. Super cute with vibrant imagery,
Apples and Pumpkins
Join this little girl and her family as she going to pumpkin farm with her family and picks apples and pumpkins. Simple and easy to read with small children.
Peace is an Offering
So this isn’t really a fall book, but the imagery is so beautiful for the changing of seasons. I think with Thanksgiving ahead and the beauty in the changing of seasons it’s nice to think about community and how we can always help others. If you’re looking for more peace books that celebrate diversity, check out my roundup HERE.
Goodbye Summer, Hello Autumn
I’ve already lost count how many times we’ve read this book together. Goodbye Summer, Hello Autumn is one of our night time favorites over here. It follows a girl along on her nature walk, while she greets the trees, the leaves, the wind, foxes, chipmunks, etc. The book starts off in late summer and then ends during Autumn.
We’re Going on a Leaf Hunt
An easy to read fall version of We’re Going on a Bear Hunt.
Leaf Man
I had to add Leaf Man to our at home library because Ollie has a plush leaf toy, that I made up a song about. You know the The Kinks’ song “Apeman”? Well I changed the words to leaf man and he loves it so we had to add this one to our library. The illustrations are made from actual cut leaves. Where the wind goes, the leaf man goes.
Autumn
Autumn in a picture book that you can get really creative with while “reading” to your child. We like to play I Spy…with it, but also make up little stories about what all the children in the book are doing. Beautiful illustrations.
I Am Thankful: A Thanksgiving Book for Kids
This one is focused around Thankgiving and is the only holiday book I included. It reminds me of a book I might have read as a kid and reminds me of all the great parts of a holiday as a kid: helping in the kitchen, eating all the treats, playing with cousins outside.
Autumn is here!
The illustrations are a little abstract, but it is a simple story sharing some of the very best things about the season, sharing how you will know Autumn is here!