12 Picture Books to Welcome Fall

September 7, 2022

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“And all at once, summer collapsed into fall.” – Oscar Wilde

It’s here! Well, almost here… but really autumn beings on September 1st in our house. Even when it still 90 degrees outside. I pretend to not sweat while I wear cardigans and boots, and I change out the decor to fall colors. I pull out the fall books for the children. These books are dreamy and inspiring for the season, and I thought I would share our favorites here.

Cozy Up and Read

The great part of the seasonal shifts, is of course, the temperature starts dropping. Here in Oklahoma, it’s still quite hot in September but there is the faintest hint of fall in the evening breeze. The quilts start trickling out of hiding and everyone starts cuddling together under them as we read. I will miss the weight of my babies and big kids surrounding me while we all share a quilt when I read. It’s the sweetest feeling. Setting the mood for reading aloud is a big part of creating a family culture around books. What gets your kids excited to listen to a story in the afternoons or evenings? My kids love cuddling down with a blanket and some popcorn. Give it a try! If bribing my kids with popcorn to listen to a story is wrong, I don’t want to be right.

I think one of my favorite parts of all the books on this list is that the illustrations are all so lovely. I would want to pull out any of these books and look through them by myself with a cup of coffee at hand. That’s because they are art! The illustrations are inspiring and make me want to go grab leaves off the tree and create a fall-inspired mantle. When the book is inspiring even to the adults, that’s when you know it’s good.

12 Books to Enjoy this Fall

Brambly Hedge Autumn Story by Jill Barklem: The autumn story from this series is fun and a sweet read, and I want to live in a little tree with the sweet mice!
Ox-Cart Man by Donald Hall and Barbara Cooney: Such a lovely book about a family working hard all year on their farm. The illustrations are dreamy and evoke that cozy, fall feeling.
Pumpkin Moonshine by Tasha Tudor: This lovely book is a favorite of mine. Really anything from Tasha Tudor is a favorite. This book is about a little girl going to pick a runaway pumpkin to make a pumpkin that shines.
In November by Cynthia Rylant: In this book, everyone is preparing for winter as the season is about to change.
Family Farm by Thomas Locker: A story about a hard-working family and their plans to save their farm.
Miss Suzy by Miriam Young: This book is all about a squirrel’s adventures and bravery.
Autumn by Gerda Muller: This is a wordless board book and the illustrations are lovely. I love giving her books as gifts.
The Year at Maple Hill Farm by Alice and Martin Provensen: This book shows a full year on the farm and how to take care of the animals.
Leaf Man by Lois Ehlert: A book about making seasonal, leaf creations. This one is so fun with younger children because they can make their own leaf characters.
Every Autumn Comes the Bear by Jim Arnosky: A story about a bear preparing for hibernation behind a family farm.
Waiting for Winter by Sebastian Meschenmoser: This book portrays some animals trying to stay awake to see the snow.
Pumpkin Pumpkin by Jeanne Titherington : This book is about a little boy growing a pumpkin.

Tips for Collecting Fall Books

If you are wanting to build a home library and are looking to add to your fall book collection, save and study booklists. This is the number one thing that has helped me snag my most sought after fall books. For instance, I had seen Miss Suzy on several fall booklists, and I had been searching for it secondhand for awhile because it’s kind of pricey. Because I had it in mind, I spotted it for 50 cents not too long ago at the thrift store and grabbed it so fast! Peruse booklists so you can have books in mind. Add them to an Amazon list if you don’t have the brain space so you can always find the list, and you can also see if they go on sale. Amazon lists are also great for sharing with grandparents when they need a gift list for Christmas or birthdays.