The Best Children’s Books about Fall

By Southern Living
August 24, 2017
Credit: Caiaimage/Agnieszka Wozniak/Getty Images
Autumn leaves, pumpkin patches, the changing of the seasons—there’s so much to celebrate about fall. We’ve rounded up our favorite fall children’s books so that you and you family can celebrate together while reading this year. Browse our picks below—some of our favorite-fall-centric books for little ones—and get excited about the season. We have fall installations of Pete the Cat and The Berenstain Bears, as well as the classic The Little Scarecrow Boy by Margaret Wise Brown and Leaf Man by Lois Ehlert. The latter will inspire you to pick up crunchy leaves from your yard for some autumnal crafting (it’s so easy to make your own leaf people!). Let us know what you and your family are reading this fall, and then take a look at the rest of our autumnal ideas—from porches that have us dreaming of fall to seasonal desserts that you’ll want to make all autumn long. Happy fall, y’all!
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Leaves by David Ezra Stein

Credit: amazon.com

Buy it: $6.99, amazon.com

Grade level: PreK-1

This board book introduces readers to a young bear who’s experiencing his first autumn.

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The Busy Little Squirrel by Nancy Tafuri

Credit: amazon.com

Buy it: $7.99, amazon.com

Grade level: PreK-1

This busy little squirrel is experiencing the changing seasons and hurrying through autumn while getting ready for the onset of winter.

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Duck & Goose Find a Pumpkin by Tad Hills

Credit: amazon.com

Buy it: $10.99, amazon.com

Grade level: PreK-1

This is a fun one to read before your family hits the pumpkin patch this season!

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Fletcher and the Falling Leaves by Julia Rawlinson

Credit: amazon.com

Buy it: $7.99, amazon.com

Grade level: PreK-2

A fox named Fletcher learns about the changing seasons when the leaves start to fall from his favorite tree.

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The Little Scarecrow Boy by Margaret Wise Brown

Credit: amazon.com

Buy it: $6.55, amazon.com

Grade level: PreK-2

This story is all about family bonds and sharing knowledge across the generations.

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Mouse’s First Fall by Lauren Thompson

Credit: amazon.com

Buy it: $7.99, amazon.com

Grade level: PreK-2

This book is filled with leaves of all shades, shapes, and sizes and is an invitation to play alongside Mouse and Minka, who are enjoying the fall season.

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The Berenstain Bears and the Prize Pumpkin by Stan and Jan Berenstain

Credit: amazon.com

Buy it: $4.99, amazon.com

Grade level: PreK-2

In this Berenstain classic, the Bear family enters the Thanksgiving Festival’s Big Pumpkin Contest.

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It’s Fall! by Linda Glaser

Credit: amazon.com

Buy it: $7.95, amazon.com

Grade level: PreK-2

Celebrate the season with this activity-filled book, which is filled with illustrations fashioned from paper collages.

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The Little Yellow Leaf by Carin Berger

Credit: amazon.com

Buy it: $16.99, amazon.com

Grade level: PreK-3

Little Leaf learns to be brave when it’s time for the seasonal fall from the tree.

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The Berenstain Bears' Harvest Festival by Mike Berenstain

Credit: amazon.com

Buy it: $3.99, amazon.com

Grade level: PreK-3

This new installment in The Berenstain Bears series celebrates Bear Country’s first annual Harvest Festival.

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Pete the Cat: Five Little Pumpkins by James Dean

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Buy it: $9.99, amazon.com

Grade level: PreK-3

Pete the Cat...and pumpkins galore!

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We’re Going on a Leaf Hunt by Steve Metzger

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Buy it: $6.14, amazon.com

Grade level: PreK-3

Read this jaunty book out loud, and then go on your own family leaf hunt!

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Leaf Man by Lois Ehlert

Credit: amazon.com

Buy it: $17.99, amazon.com

Grade level: PreK-3

This little book will have you constructing your own autumnal leaf people in no time at all.

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Red Leaf, Yellow Leaf by Lois Ehlert

Credit: amazon.com

Buy it: $17.99, amazon.com

Grade level: PreK-3

Celebrate the changing of the colors in the trees overhead with this vibrant book.

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Pete the Cat: The First Thanksgiving by Kimberly and James Dean

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Buy it: $6.04, amazon.com

Grade level: PreK-3

Every season needs a new Pete the Cat book—this one commemorates the first Thanksgiving.

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Apples and Pumpkins by Anne Rockwell

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Buy it: $5.99, amazon.com

Grade level: PreK-3

The season’s harvest is front and center of this book by Anne Rockwell.

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Seed, Sprout, Pumpkin, Pie by Jill Esbaum

Credit: amazon.com

Buy it: $5.95, amazon.com

Grade level: PreK-3

Your little ones will learn about how pumpkins grow—and eventually become pie—in this informative book.

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The Biggest Pumpkin Ever by Steven Kroll

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Buy it: $3.99, amazon.com

Grade level: PreK-3

The season’s favorite produce makes for an exciting picture book in this tale of field mice and jack-o-lanterns.

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Pumpkin Pumpkin by Jeanne Titherington

Credit: amazon.com

Buy it: $6.99, amazon.com

Grade level: PreK-3

Jamie plants his seeds and watches his pumpkins grow in this classic autumn story.

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Scary, Scary Halloween by Eve Bunting

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Buy it: $7.99, amazon.com

Grade level: PreK-3

This book is a little spooky and a lot of good fun.

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Hello, Harvest Moon by Ralph Fletcher

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Buy it: $7.99, amazon.com

Grade level: PreK-3

The magic of the harvest moon is sprinkled throughout this beautiful book, with lovely illustrations by Kate Kiesler.

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It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown by Charles M. Schulz

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Buy it: $7.99, amazon.com

Grade level: PreK-4

The Peanuts gang is back in time for Halloween!

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A Turkey for Thanksgiving by Eve Bunting

Credit: amazon.com

Buy it: $7.99, amazon.com

Grade level: PreK-3

Meet Mr. and Mrs. Moose and laugh at their Thanksgiving miscommunications in this sweet book.

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Leaf Jumpers by Carole Gerber and Leslie Evans

Credit: amazon.com

Buy it: $7.92, amazon.com

Grade level: K-2

Learn about the changing leaves in this book—then do some leaf jumping of your own with your little ones.

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Too Many Pumpkins by Linda White

Credit: amazon.com

Buy it: $7.16, amazon.com

Grade level: K-3

Too many pumpkins? See what happens when that’s the case in this charming tale.

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How Do Apples Grow? by Betsy Maestro

Credit: amazon.com

Buy it: $5.10, amazon.com

Grade level: K-3

Learn about autumn’s other favorite harvest in this informative book about apples.

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Fall Leaves: Colorful and Crunchy by Martha E.H. Rustad

Credit: amazon.com

Buy it: $6.59, amazon.com

Grade level: K-3

Find out everything you never knew about the season in this short book about the glories of fall.

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Autumn Leaves by Ken Robbins

Credit: amazon.com

Buy it: From $2.99, amazon.com

Grade level: 2 and up

Learn about 13 different types of trees and their fall leaves—a burst of science that’s informative and fun too!

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Autumn Is Here! by Heidi Pross Gray

Credit: amazon.com

Buy it: $9.99, amazon.com

Grade level: 2 and up

Autumn is here, so it’s time to cheer! Enjoy the beautiful illustrations in this great book about the arrival of fall.

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