5 Children's Books For Autumn

Sweater weather is upon us!

Apparently, even 3-year-olds know that saying “Thank you” to an “I love you” is an undesirable response.

Photo by Priscilla Du Preez 🇨🇦 on Unsplash

After a long day of threeness, in which I combatted spitting, throwing, biting, and hitting, my daughter climbed into my lap for our good night ritual. I always sing her a song and whisper sweet nothings into her ear before leaving her room.

Tonight, however, I was not in the mood. Most days, even though I’m beat by bedtime, I still adore this ritual. But today, I was not having it. Not only was I physically beat (literally by her) but also emotionally drained. I was down to the dregs. I did not have the emotional energy to feel anything but irritation.

I begrudgingly said all the words of our good night ritual and in the middle, my kid stopped me and said, “I love you, Mama.”

Usually, this would melt me like a crayon in a hot car. But, for the first time, I was completely unaffected.

“Thank you,” I responded politely.

“No, I love you.” She repeated.

“Thanks, B,” I replied.

“No! I love you!”

“I know. Thank you!”

“No, I love you! Now say it BACK!”

At this point, I couldn’t help but grin. “Okay, I love you.”

“THANK YOU!” She harrumphed.

I hope you bring this toddler confidence to all your relationships and demand the love you deserve.

—

As quick as a blink, summer is over and the best season of the year is upon us! One of my favorite things is to share some of the seasonal things I’m looking forward to and hear from you about your Fall plans!

Things on my Fall to-do list for this year…

• I’m planning on watching: We Live In Time (I know this movie will break me but I still need to watch it); A Real Pain (family drama in beautiful Poland); Here (a Tom Hanks / Robin Wright reunion? Sign me up!); and, Mufasa (because we must know his and Scar’s story!)

• Lots of fall festivals around my area and I am going to fully exploit these chill events to get out and spend time together as a family

• Hosting family! We’ve got an exciting little mini break with family planned in the Catskills, NY (if you have any recommendations, send them my way please!)

• I’m hoping (fingers crossed) to resume my sourdough hobby I began way back in 2018. This is all assuming Surella (my sourdough starter) cooperates.

• I’ll be making my favorite apple crisp on repeat

While I love the books I’ve shared here, I also did a mega post of some of my favorite 14 fall reads that you can find here.

Full of Fall

Written and Illustrated by April Pulley Sayre

Recommended Ages: 1-4 years old

The text in this book is a beautiful, loving testament to the beauty of fall. But it’s the pictures—nay, photography—that enrapture. The photographs tell a lilting story of their own as we move from the lush greens of September to the blazing fall foliage of November. We watch as Nature draws the cape away like a magic trick revealing the metamorphosis of verdant summer leaves into reds, oranges, and yellows of fall. This is the ultimate fall mood book that will excite toddlers and preschoolers into appreciating the natural beauty of this season.

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Petite Poems: Autumn

Written by Alexander Posey and Illustrated by Paige Pettibon

Recommended Ages: 3-5 years old

Alexander Posey’s, a Muscogee poet, beautiful poem, Autumn, is set to vivid, striking illustrations of Fall. Paige Pettibon, an artist of mixed Salish heritage, breathes life into this poem with her glorious artwork. Her gouache and pencil artwork pays tribute to Indigenous quilting traditions in the bright, boldly patterned we see the protagonist adorn. There’s something utterly captivating about pairing Posey’s quiet reflections on autumn with incandescent hues—it captures the restful coolness of autumn and its blazing glory. The poem is a feast for little eyes and ears.

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How to Make an Apple Pie and See the World

Written and Illustrated by Marjorie Priceman

Recommended Ages: 4-7 years old

One of my absolute favorite things about fall is apple pie. I am willing to travel far and wide for a good apple pie. That’s just what true apple pie appreciators do. So the protagonist of this story is a girl after my own heart. Excited to bake an apple pie, our young heroine heads off to the local market to get all the ingredients she needs. But alas—the market is closed! What to do? Make the best of an unfortunate situation and hitch a ride around the world to source the finest ingredients for the best apple pie. First, our main character heads to Italy to harvest the highest quality semolina wheat, then she’s off to France for their elegant eggs, and so we tour the world, traveling as far as Sri Lanka and as close by as Vermont. I can’t decide what I like best: the devotion to apple pie, the girl’s adventurous spirit, or her tenacity. This book is delicious not just for its watercolor artwork so rich with depth you feel as though you could step into the scene but also for its absurdity, its tongue-in-cheek cleverness, and, of course, a little taste of the world.

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Poppleton in Fall

Written by Cynthia Rylant and Illustrated by Mark Teague

Recommended Ages: 5-8 years old

I feel that while Cynthia Rylant is one of the most prolific and talented children’s book authors (her Henry and Mudge series are particularly well-known), she doesn’t get enough credit for the gift that is Poppleton. Rylant’s storytelling and Teague’s quaint, cozy pencil illustrations make the Poppleton stories akin to wearing your favorite sweater—warm and utterly inviting. A sweet porker, Poppleton oozes kindness from every pore. When he sees flocks of geese heading south for the winter, he invites in every one of them before conking out from social fatigue (boy, can I relate!). In this early reader chapter book, the second chapter pertains to weight. When a tailor tells Poppleton he is too big (been there too), Poppleton gets depressed. His friend, Cherry Sue, reminds him that the tailor is a ferret so of course Poppleton is big in comparison. I love this simple reframe—every judgment must be contextualized. Cherry Sue goes further to remind him that he shouldn’t care what a ferret with poor manners thinks. (This is advice I wish I could give to every person of every age—decide if you respect someone’s opinion before giving their words any power). Each vignette is in equal turns sweetly silly and thought-provoking. It’s up to you to decide how deep you want to get.

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Kafka and the Doll

Written by Larissa Theule and Illustrated by Rebecca Green

Recommended Ages: 6-9 years old

I picked up this book out of sheer curiosity. How and why was Kafka featured in a picture book? Against the backdrop of autumn in Berlin, the kind generosity of a dying writer to an inconsolable little girl completely charmed me. We witness Kafka frequenting the park with his girlfriend when they encounter a crying child who has lost her doll. When Kafka asks the little girl, Irma, why she’s crying, she informs him that she can’t find Soupsy, her beloved doll. On the spot, Kafka, the brilliant storyteller that he is, spins a story about the nomadic nature of dolls and how they like to travel. Kafka reassures Irma that Soupsy has a letter for her. The next day, Kafka passes on a letter from Soupsy to Irma. Thus begins a worldwide correspondence between Soupsy and Irma with Kafka as the go-between, one which we can eagerly follow. Soupsy’s adventures take her to Paris and the pyramids in Egypt. Eventually, Soupsy’s missives become shorter until finally they cease. This story sheds light on a friendship between Irma and Soupsy coming to a close while Irma’s friendship with Kafka grows. It’s the bravery of Irma to say goodbye to her dearest doll and realize that lives can intersect, collide into fireworks, and then diverge and move forward in different directions. Irma’s friendship with Kafka is a parallel to her relationship with the doll. As Kafka gets sicker (he had tuberculosis), there’s the foreboding that Irma’s friendship with Kafka will be brief as well. And, perhaps, what I loved most is that at the heart of it is the generosity a storyteller bestows on a child who needs it most—the gift of a good story. Best of all, this is based on a real incident that happened towards the end of Kafka’s life.

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Let’s talk…

• What’s your favorite / least favorite thing about Fall?

• What fun things are you planning for the Fall?

• Share some links to your favorite Fall recipes!

*Thank you for using (at no additional cost to you) the affiliate links in this post! :-)