Like many people who love the cooler months of the year, I am very happy we’ve enter the season of crisp air, cozy sweaters, and pumpkin spice everything. But one of my favorite things about fall is the colors. Those breathtakingly beautiful fall colors. And I love that there are so many gorgeous new picture books for kids that capture what I love about the season — and all just in time for the later fall foliage we’re experiencing this year in the northeast.
So, no rushing into holiday and snow stories just yet! For now, curl up with the kids under a warmer quilt, and check out one of these great new picture books for that celebrate the beauty of fall.
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Wonderfall by Michael Hall
My daughters absolutely love Wonderfall because of the bright, gorgeous illustrations and easy fall puns on every page. From BeautiFALL, with a focus on the autumnal colors to FrightFALL (my daughter’s favorite), which brings to life Halloween ghouls and goblins, Hall’s picture book takes you through the season in exquisite detail. But my favorite feature is the educational section at the back of the book, including several pages of facts about hibernation, or lesser known fall animals like Great Horned Owls and White-Tailed Deer. Perfect for finding ways to talk about the season long after the last page is read.
Hocus Pocus, It’s Fall! by Anne Sibley O’Brien, illustrated by Susan Gal
How could we not include Hocus Pocus, It’s Fall! in this group of gorgeous books about autumn? This picture book magically captures the essence of the season. Its simple rhymes about familiar fall things like apples, squirrels, and pumpkins make it perfect for new readers. But it’s the exquisitely illustrated pages — gatefolds on every page rich in cranberry reds, burnt oranges, and other brilliant warm colors of fall — that make this picture book for kids a real standout.
Related: 6 adorable pinecone DIY ideas perfect for fall crafting.
Goodbye Summer, Hello Autumn by Kenard Pak
As sad as it can be to say goodbye to flip-flops and no-jacket weather, this book softens the blow with absolutely stunning illustrations that remind us of the joys of the season. I could read this one over and over to my young kids, and that’s saying something. Each page of Goodbye Summer, Hello Autumn begins with a little girl saying a happy hello to whatever it is she sees around her — the trees, playful foxes, chipmunks, even the wind. But what really keeps my girls’ attention is the poetic prose from the author, making this one a new family favorite that’s a huge cut above any [insert Cartoon Character here] Celebrates Fall book you might have on the bookshelves.
Yellow Time by Lauren Stringer
This book (also shown at top) is destined to be a new annual favorite with families, a poetic watercolor ode to that “symphony of yellow” we could look at for days. Yellow Time captures the best parts about fall for kids around ages preschool through grade 2, thanks to author and illustrator Lauren Stringer’s exquisite depiction of the joys of the crisp air, the yellow trees whooshing in the wind, and the ability for jumping and twirling and playing in piles of fallen leaves. Because when you’re a kid, isn’t that what fall is really all about? Well, besides Halloween.
Contributor Heather Dixon (heatherdixon.ca) is a writer, copywriter, runner, and big-time Judy Blume fan who hails from Canada. She spends most of her free time writing about parenting her three little girls on various sites like Pregnant Chicken and Huffington Post Parents.
