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Showing posts with label Picture Books. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Picture Books. Show all posts
A couple years ago I shared a list of our favorite Christmas picture books to read together. The kids and I love a beautifully illustrated Christmas book while sitting near our Christmas tree and having a treat! I've expanded our favorites list quite a bit since then, and have sorted through nearly two hundred Christmas picture books to make this list!
The list is broken up into three sections, depending on what you’re looking for. The books related to the Nativity and the Christian faith are listed first, and there are some beautiful books in there for believers. Not every Christmas book labeled as “Christian” has a biblically solid message or points to Christ, but I feel that these ones did a good job of pointing to the true meaning of Christmas - Christ’s birth!
The next category contains books that focus on Santa. I know some families that like to avoid or minimize the topic of Santa Claus at Christmas, so the ones with a story centered around Santa are separated out for your convenience.
The last category are full of just general Christmas stories, focused on the celebration of the holiday itself. Some of them may reference Santa briefly, but he’s not a big part of the story.
I hope this list is useful for you as you look for Christmas books that resonate with your own family! You can also see my original book list here, which contains different titles than this list. And don’t forget to scroll to the end of the post for a printable list that you can take to the library - which includes all my picture book recommendations for Christmas from both posts!
Christian Christmas Stories:
The Spider Who Saved Christmas by Raymond Arroyo - This is a Christmas fable, about a spider who saves the lives of Joseph, Mary, and Baby Jesus as they are fleeing to Egypt. This book is very sweet, and I love that it focuses on the Nativity - I do make sure to tell my kids that this story is not in the Bible, it's just an imaginative story. Also note that the story does involve fleeing the soldiers who were killing the baby boys in Bethlehem, so make sure your kids are ready for that part of the story.
The Gift Of The Christmas Cookies by Dandi Daley Mackall - I loved this book! A mom tells her boy about how Christmas cookies got started as a way of telling peasants about the Nativity, and the boy realizes he can use Christmas cookies to spread the good news of Jesus's birth the same way. I think this would be a fun and meaningful book to read before a Christmas baking day, especially if you have nativity-shaped cookie cutters!
Song Of The Stars by Sally Lloyd-Jones - A lovely book highlighting all of creation rejoicing in the birth of Christ!
Humphrey's First Christmas by Carol Heyer - A funny story about a camel who loses his greatest treasure - his carpet-blanket! But in the end, he meets the Baby Jesus and gives up his greatest treasure for the King of kings. Very sweet and humorous twist on the Nativity story.
Fear Not, Joseph! by Julie Stiegemeyer - The Nativity story from the perspective of Joseph. This book sticks pretty close to the biblical narrative, with a few details filled in. It seems like Joseph is often left out of the story in Christmas picture books, so I liked that this book focused on his perspective! Great notes from the author in the back too.
The Legend Of St. Nicholas by Dandi Daley Mackall - I love this version of the story of the real St. Nick. A boy is wandering through a mall, thinking about everything he wants to buy for himself, and then hears a mall Santa telling the story of Saint Nicholas and his gift-giving. In the process he refocuses on the joy of giving at Christmas. Very well-done book.
The Little Shepherd's Christmas by Carol Heyer - A beautifully illustrated version of the Christmas story from a shepherd boy's perspective.
Christmas Is Here by Lauren Castillo - The words of this book are just the Scripture text from the KJV, but the illustrations are lovely. The book starts with a family visiting a living Nativity, and then flashing back to what happened on the night Jesus was born.
A Star For Christmas by Trisha Romance - A carpenter moves to a new place and works to build a house in the woods. The local villagers comes to help him, and so he decides to make them a very special gift for Christmas. A sweet story that points to Jesus's birth.
A Churchmouse Christmas by Barbara Davoll - Christopher Churchmouse wants to make something to celebrate Jesus's birthday in this sweet story told in rhyme. If you've read any of the other Christopher Churchmouse books, this one is especially fun as all the characters make an appearance.
Mortimer's Christmas Manger by Karma Wilson - A mouse named Mortimer finds a house that is perfectly sized for him - the problem is that it's filled with statues! He just tosses them out and enjoys the comfortable manger - until he learns the Nativity story. Very cute story, and a creative way to point to the Nativity.
‘Twas The Evening Of Christmas by Glenis Nellist - Written in the metre of “The Night Before Christmas”, this book focuses on the story of Jesus's birth instead. I love this one!
The Lightlings by R. C. Sproul - A gorgeously illustrated, imaginative retelling of the story of God sending His Son to save us. The additional discussion questions in the back are excellent for guiding a discussion about Jesus's birth and the gospel, complete with Scripture references!
Santa Stories:
Little Red Sleigh by Erin Guendelsberger - A little red sleigh wants desperately to be Santa's sleigh and help bring joy to children everywhere, but on her journey to the North Pole she learns that things in life come more gradually. She brings joy to a little girl as she goes sledding on Christmas Day, and Little Red Sleigh realizes she is already fulfilling her purpose.
The Night Santa Got Lost: How Norad Saved Christmas by Micheal Kerne - This was a great find for us this year! The book is written as a twist on "The Night Before Christmas", but the real treasure is the history of NORAD's tradition of tracking Santa on Christmas Eve, and the other Christmas-related military history stories in the back. We found it delightful, and this book would be a great jumping-off point for other studies about history and the military, writing short stories, etc.
Mouse's Night Before Christmas by Tracey Corduroy - It turns out there was a mouse stirring on Christmas Eve, and this book shares the story of how a mouse helps Santa, and Santa helps the mouse find a friend. Very cute!
Rudolph Shines Again by Robert L. May - Rudolph starts to feel sorry for himself as all the reindeer pick on him for being Santa's favorite...until one day, Rudolph's nose stops shining. This is a cute story about the "continuing adventures" of Rudolph beyond the traditional tale!
The Wild Christmas Reindeer by Jan Brett - All of Brett's illustrations are so Christmas-y, and in this story, Teeka must train the reindeer to pull Santa's sleigh.
Truffle's Christmas by Anna Currey - Truffle can't decide whether to ask Santa for a hula hoop or a blanket. He settles on asking for the hula hoop, but the next night he gives up his blanket for the baby mice. So he goes on a journey to see if he can change his request to a new blanket instead. Really cute little story!
The Finest Christmas Tree by John and Ann Hassett - A quirky story about Farmer Tuttle, who was a Christmas tree farmer until his customers started to dry up. Then suddenly he gets a note, and tiny little figures carry off one of his Christmas trees!
Carl's Christmas by Alexandra Day - In this book, the dog Carl is tasked with watching the baby while the parents go out (not realistic, but cute). He takes the baby on all kinds of Christmas adventures through the rest of the book. This is a wordless book, so it would be a fun writing project to have kids write their own words for each page.
Fletcher And The Snowflakes Of Christmas by Julia Rawlinson - Fletcher is a classic in our home at this point, and in this book the little fox Fletcher worries that Santa won't be able to find the home of his rabbit friends, since they just moved to a new burrow. This is a sweet Christmas story, highlighting friendship with beautiful illustrations.
Other Christmas Stories:
The Christmas Owl by Ellen Kalish - In this story, none of the animals know what Christmas is, until an owl's tree is cut down and taken to the big city to be a Christmas tree. He is sent to an owl rescue and shown kindness and care by the humans there, and afterward he thinks he understands a little better what Christmas is.
A Wish To Be A Christmas Tree by Colleen Monroe - A large pine tree is never picked as a Christmas tree, and tells his woes to the forest creatures. They appreciate the big tree, and set out to show him how much they love him by making him into a Christmas tree. Really sweet book about friendship.
Fletcher And The Snowflakes Of Christmas by Julia Rawlinson - Fletcher is a classic in our home at this point, and in this book the little fox Fletcher worries that Santa won't be able to find the home of his Rabbit friends, since they just moved to a new burrow. This is a sweet Christmas story, highlighting friendship with beautiful illustrations.
Mistletoe by Tad Hills - Mistletoe loves to be outside in the snow at Christmastime, but her friend Norwell likes to be warm and cozy - so she sets out to make him a present that will allow them to spend more time together. Cute illustrations, and fun for knitters!
The Christmas Tree Who Loved Trains by Annie Silvestro - A tree grows in a Christmas tree lot right next to a train track, and loves the feeling of the trains whooshing past...until a family comes and takes the tree to their home. Will she ever see a train again? This is a cute one for kids who love trains.
Finding Christmas by Leslie Evans - In this story, Hare, Mouse, and Squirrel find a wounded Sparrow, and give up all their presents to help a creature in need. I loved the reference to the Bible verse in the very back, and stories that highlight sacrifice and selflessness at Christmas are always welcome.
The Perfect Tree by Corinne Demas - Bunny wants to find the perfect Christmas tree, and all his friends tell him what to look for - but when he finds it, he can't bear to cut it down. This is a basic finding-a-Christmas-tree story, but we enjoyed it!
A Christmas Wish For Corduroy by Don Freeman - If you like the original Corduroy book, you'll enjoy this Christmas backstory that explains how he got his cute green overalls!
Lighthouse Christmas by Tony Buzzeo - Two kids, who have moved to an island with their dad to be the new lighthouse family, try to figure out how to celebrate Christmas with no resources, since their supply ship is delayed by the weather. The information in the back of this book about the "flying Santa" program that brought Christmas cheer to lighthouse families was especially interesting, and would make a great Christmas research project for homeschoolers who do "Christmas School"!
I Love You More Than Christmas by Ellie Hattie - An adorable book about a bear family enjoying all that Christmas brings. Younger kids will enjoy all the interrupted endings of the poem!
The Magic Of A Small-Town Christmas by Megan Alexander - Cute illustrations depicting Christmas traditions in a small town. I enjoyed this book since my little town has some unique Christmas traditions as well.
The Peterkins' Christmas by Elizabeth Spurr - My kids know the Peterkins from A Peterkins Thanksgiving, and so they were greatly amused by this zany Victorian family's Christmas hijinks. This is a longer book, but also pretty fun!
Winter's Gift by Jane Monroe Donovan - An old man finds himself lonely at Christmas, until a lost mare reminds him to always to keep hope - in an unexpected way! This is a sweet Christmas book for horse-loving kids!
Silver Packages by Cynthia Rylant - A beautiful picture book about a Christmas train that brings presents to poor boys and girls in the Appalachian mountains - and how one of those boys grows up and finds his way back to Appalachia. This book makes me want to cry for a reason I can't pinpoint - we loved it.
Christmas Farm by Mary Lyn Ray - An old woman and a boy decide to plant a Christmas tree farm - and after ten long years the trees are ready to sell. This book is an imaginative look at what it would be like to grow Christmas trees, and as a homeschool mom I noted that the built-in math problems abound!
An Orange For Frankie by Patricia Polacco - Get ready to tear up at the end of this book. A sweet story about a boy named Frankie, who loses his Christmas orange - but his family pulls together and creates an orange for Frankie.
Cranberry Christmas by Wende and Harry Devlin - We rejoin the gang of Cranberryport, as Mr. Whiskers tries to save the skating pond and also get his house ready for a visit from his sister. The "Cranberryport" books are all delightful, and this is a fun Christmas story!
Christmas In The Country by Cynthia Rylant - A little girl shares her favorite parts of celebrating Christmas in the country with her grandparents. The illustrations in this are very cute, and all the traditions shared are sweet and nostalgic.
The All-I’ll-Ever-Want-For-Christmas Doll by Patricia C. McKissack - A story of a family in the south during the Great Depression. A little girl wants a Baby Betty more than anything - and she gets one on Christmas morning! The problem is, there is only one between herself and her two sisters. A sweet story for a reminder that people are more important than things. Some Santa talk in this one, but that's not the focus of the story.
The Story Of Holly And Ivy by Rumer Godden - A doll in a toy shop wants to be given to a little girl, a little girl wants to spend Christmas in a real home, and a woman wishes she had a child to pour her love on at Christmas - and all these stories come together in this adorable and sweet book.
Gingerbread Baby by Jan Brett - This book along with the next two are a trio of books about Gingerbread people! This book is a fun play off of the traditional gingerbread man story - but the Gingerbread Baby is not obnoxious and gets away in this one.
Gingerbread Friends by Jan Brett - In this one, the Gingerbread Baby is lonely when the little girl leaves for school, so he goes in search of a friend.
Gingerbread Christmas by Jan Brett - In this book, a whole gingerbread band joins the Gingerbread Baby and plays sweet music in the town square...until someone decides the band looks pretty tasty!
Construction Site On Christmas Night by Sherry Duskey Rinker and A. G. Ford - Very similar to the classic 'Goodnight, Construction Site', except a Christmas version!
If You Take A Mouse To The Movies by Laura Numeroff - In the same tradition as If You Give A Mouse A Cookie, one thing leads to another in this Christmas version!
The Gift Of The Magi by O. Henry illustrated by Robert Sauber - A beautifully illustrated version of O. Henry's classic Christmas tale!
A Cowboy Christmas by Audrey Wood - Evan's cowboy friend, Cully, is a big help around the ranch ever since Evan's father died - but then at Christmas, Cully doesn't come home one night and Even and his mother must go looking for him. A sweet story that gives a peek into what life may have been like in the Old West. This one has a sweet ending.
The Christmas Crocodile by Bonnie Becker - A crocodile causes chaos for a family at Christmas, until the family sends him away - or so they think! A humorous Christmas book!
A Christmas For Bear by Bonny Becker - This is a funny book about a bear who has never hosted a Christmas party before. His friend Mouse arrives and is worried that there are no presents - only pickles! I highly recommend reading the bear with an English accent.
Apple Tree Christmas by Trinka Hakes Noble - A story about a terrible blizzard that brings down a family's apple tree. One of the daughters is heartbroken, because the tree used to be her "art studio" - but her father finds a way to bring the feeling of the old tree back for the girls. Sweet, old-fashioned Christmas story.
Suzy Goose And The Christmas Star by Petr Horacek - Suzy Goose spots a star in the sky and goes on a journey to see if she can snatch it for the top of the animal's Christmas tree...until she gets lost! A light, simple Christmas story.
If I Could Give You Christmas by Lynn Plourde - This book features a sweet Christmas-themed poem from a parent to a child. What really makes this book shine, in my opinion, are the absolutely beautiful illustrations of animal kids and parents.
Mr. Willowby's Christmas Tree by Robert Barry - This delightful book features Mr. Willowby's Christmas tree, which keeps getting chopped smaller as small animals use the cut-off top as their own Christmas tree. Very cute and humorous for the kids!
Merry Christmas, Anne by Kallie George - A cute Christmas story surrounding Anne of Green Gables, and inspired by the book! Our family just read L. M. Montgomery's classic together, so this is a fun picture book to add to our stack this year.
The Queen And The First Christmas Tree by Nancy Churnin - This story is based upon the life of Queen Charlotte. The title is a little misleading in that I’m not sure she can claim the first Christmas tree, but she was the first to popularize Christmas trees in England. I love this for a Christmas history tie-in!
For a printable Christmas picture book list, click here!
Enjoy, and Merry Christmas until I write again!
Note: This post probably looks very familiar if you've been around here for a while - and that's because it is. I had two rather disjointed posts about our favorite Thanksgiving picture books on my blog, and I decided to combine them into a single post this year. I've also created a printable list for your convenience! You can find that at the bottom of this post!
The last few years, I’ve really been leaning into the Thanksgiving holiday with my kids. We’ve set up a Thanksgiving tree (inspired by some friends of ours), we’ve filled out gratitude journals, and we’ve explored Thanksgiving picture books.
After checking out a multitude of Thanksgiving picture books from our library, the following are the ones that made the cut. I am quite particular about these book choices. I have a pet peeve about Thanksgiving books making no mention of who we should be giving thanks to, or misrepresent to whom the Pilgrims themselves gave thanks at that first Thanksgiving. The pilgrims did not have a Thanksgiving feast to thank the Native Americans - they invited their Native Americans friends and I am sure there was some gratitude directed their way, but the Pilgrims were primarily giving thanks to God.
With the exceptions of just a few books on my list that are directed at more historical events (ex. Balloons Over Broadway) or celebration ideas (ex. How To Celebrate Thanksgiving) or stories about the meal itself (ex. An Old Fashioned Thanksgiving), all of these books point the theme of "thanksgiving" where it belongs - toward the Giver of all good things.
The Night Before Thanksgiving by Natasha Wing - This is a play off of the classic Christmas poem, and I thought it was so cute, especially with the sweet illutrations.
How To Celebrate Thanksgiving by P. K. Hallinan - This is a picture book, in rhyme, that celebrates all the fun of Thanksgiving Day (including eating so much you feel like you might burst). Cute illustrations, fun poem.
Cranberry Thanksgiving by Wende and Harry Devlin - This is the first time I've read this one, and the quirky story of Grandma's special cranberry bread recipe and how it's nearly stolen made me laugh.
Thanksgiving In The Woods by Phyllis Allsdurf - This book is based off a family who celebrates Thanksgiving each year by having dinner in the woods - this is one of those times when the illustrations really make the whole book. This pages are so pretty.
A Turkey For Thanksgiving by Eve Bunting - A fun story about Mr. Moose tracking down Turkey for Thanksgiving. My kids where laughing at this one!
Franklin's Thanksgiving by Paulette Bourgeois - My kids love watching the old TV show Franklin, and this book had the typical mild dilemma that the show often features - Franklin invites too many people to Thanksgiving. It was cute!
Over The River And Through The Wood by Matt Tavares - I'm sure you recognize the first lines to this poem - somehow I never realized it was about Thanksgiving!
Berenstain Bears Thanksgiving Blessings by Mike Berenstain - This obviously isn't serious history, but on the way over to Grandma's House For Thanksgiving Dinner, Papa Bear tells about the “Pilgrim bears” that came to a new land seeking religious freedom.
Squanto And The Miracle Of Thanksgiving by Eric Metaxes - This is a Thanksgiving classic for us, telling the story of Squanto's life and how God used him to help the pilgrims survive.
This Is The Feast by Diane Z. Shore - Another one where the illustrations really shine, telling a little history about the first Thanksgiving.
Sharing The Bread: An Old Fashioned Thanksgiving Story by Pat Zeitlow Miller - This book features a poem with a fun beat to it, all about working together to make Thanksgiving dinner.
A Thanksgiving Turkey by Julian Scheer - This book was slow going at first, but the ending just got me. One of those times when I feel silly tearing up a little as I read to the kids. I think I resonated from this one especially coming from a family that hunts.
Thank You For Thanksgiving by Dandi Daley Mackall - It's the classic problem - everyone is going around saying what they are thankful for, and someone else says what you were going to say! I really liked how this one pointed back to being thankful for our Savior too.
Thanksgiving Graces by Mark Kimball Moulton - As Grandma invites more and more people to dinner, the narrator wonders if there will be enough - Grandma talks briefly about the parable of the fishes and reminds her grandson that they can stretch the food to include others. A sweet story about hospitality at Thanksgiving.
Thankful by Eileen Spinelli - A sweet "gratitude list" type of book, but I especially liked this one.
Give Thanks To The Lord by Karma Wilson - Another beautiful Thanksgiving book, this one taking inspiration from Psalm 92.
Balloons Over Broadway: The True Story Of The Puppeteer Of Macy's Parade by Melissa Sweet - This is a book that is in high demand at our library, but we finally got it and truly enjoyed learning about the history of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade, and how a man named Tony invented the idea of ballon floats.
The Thanksgiving Story by Alice Dalgliesh - A longer chapter book that tells the story of how the pilgrims came to the New World and established the first Thanksgiving feast. I love how historically accurate this one was!
An Old-Fashioned Thanksgiving by Louisa May Alcott (illustrated by James Bernardin) - This is a sweet story about three girls who must be left alone on Thanksgiving, and attempt to make the meal for the family themselves, with mixed results! (Note: I could not find the version linked above on a retailer website, but if you can track it down, I loved the illustrations by Bernardin in this version.)
Sarah Gives Thanks by Mike Allegra - This book is about the woman who petitioned a series of presidents to make Thanksgiving a national holiday, and finally succeeded with Abraham Lincoln. I like this book about her life, and the pages that show her family praying together and thanking the Lord for providing even in the midst of hard times were heartwarming.
And one chapter book recommendation:
Rush Revere And The Brave Pilgrims by Rush Limbaugh - This is our favorite Thanksgiving historical fiction book - all about the journey of the pilgrims from Holland to the New World, including good history about the first Thanksgiving. It's so imaginative and fun with the time-traveling horse, Liberty! We like it on audio, but the actual book has some wonderful art pieces and fun illustrations too.
I hope this list is helpful - and get those books requested now, because if your library system is anything like mine, you may or may not get them in time to read before Thanksgiving is here!
Fall is my favorite time of year, as it is for so many people, and I'm surprised that it took me so long to assemble a list of our favorite autumn picture books. These books all capture different aspects of fall, or just have an autumnal vibe!
We are a little picky about fall picture books. It has to have a bit of a nostalgic or cozy factor to make the list. I also didn't include books that have too much of a focus on Halloween, since we don't celebrate Halloween in our family - most of these books don't have an allusion to Halloween at all, and if they do it's very brief and I tried to make a note of it. As a result, this is truly a list that focuses on the season of fall and not any particular holiday!
If you want to expand this list a bit, I also have a list of Thanksgiving picture books that we love as well!
Goodbye Summer, Hello Autumn by Kenard Pak - A beautiful picture book about the transition from summer to fall. This whole series is lovely for the changing seasons.
The Turnip by Jan Brett - This is the story of a particularly huge turnip, and how the animals must get it out of the ground before it snows. This story was fun, and really captures that transition period between harvest and winter.
Autumn Story by Jill Barklem - I love all the Brambly Hedge books for each season! In this one, Primrose goes wandering in the woods, gets lost in some hidden tunnels, and is finally found by her parents and friends. The cozy illustrations really make these books.
The Little Scarecrow Boy by Margaret Wise Brown - This is a funny story about a scarecrow boy that wants to go work with his dad, but his dad doesn't think he's ready...until he sneaks out one day to scare some crows on his own!
The Apple Pie That Papa Baked by Lauren Thompson - Using repetition and simple monochromatic illustrations this book tells the story of an apple pie being baked and shared. This would be a cute one to read before actually baking an apple pie!
The Apple Pie Tree by Zoe Hall - All about the process of growing apples and making apple pies. I associate apple pies especially with the fall, and this would be another book to add for an apple pie theme.
County Fair inspired by Laura Ingalls Wilder - This is part of a picture book series related to the Little House On The Prairie books. In this volume, Almanzo's pumpkin is contender in the county fair.
The Pumpkin Runner by Marsha Diane Arnold - Based on a true story of a sheep farmer who beat out a bunch of younger contestants in a long-distance race in Australia...by eating pumpkins! I don't know if the pumpkin part is true or not, but the pumpkins make this a delightful book for fall nevertheless.
The Little Yellow Leaf by Carin Berger - A yellow leaf desperately holds on to its branch, afraid to let go, until he finally finds a friend to make the jump with him. Very sweet story.
The Berenstain Bears Harvest Festival by Mike Berenstain - The Berenstain Bears are classics, and this is a particularly cute one as the family goes to a harvest festival and then talks about all the blessings God sends us in the fall.
Johnny Appleseed: A Tall Tale Retold by Steven Kellogg - This is our favorite book version of the story of Johnny Appleseed, a frontiersman who planted many apple tress in the Ohio wilderness, and how his legend grew. The illustrations are fun, and it ends on a perfect note for a tall tale.
Hooray For Fall by Kazuo Iwamura - Mick, Mack, and Molly, adventurous squirrel children, are back in this cute fall adventure in their brand-new red sweaters, knitted by their mother! They explore the woods and make note of all the fall changes. We like all the books in this series.
Bear Has A Story To Tell by Philip C. Stead - Bear has a story to tell, but everyone is getting ready to hibernate for the winter and can't listen. Maybe he'll finally get to tell them when they wake up in the spring - if he can remember it!
Fletcher And The Falling Leaves by Julia Rawlinson - Fletcher notices the leaves are falling off his favorite tree, and he desperately tries to prevent them from leaving. Dejected, he realizes he can't stop the leaves from falling...but then something beautiful comes to take their place. This book is sweet and poignant, and my kids love all of Fletcher's adventures.
Little Tree by Loren Long - In this book, a little tree holds onto his leaves too long, until he realizes he'll never grow unless he lets them book. A beautiful story and touching message.
Lawrence In The Fall by Matthew Farina - Lawrence doesn't have a collection to bring for show and tell at his school, until his dad takes him on an adventure in the woods. He finds a beautiful leaf collection to share with his classmates.
The Busy Little Squirrel by Nancy Tafuri - All the animals want a squirrel to join them in their fun, but Squirrel is too busy getting ready for winter. This would be a fun story to start explaining hibernation for small children. The illustrations are also bright and fun!
Fall Leaves by Loretta Holland - This book explains all the changes we see in nature as fall approaches, in the middle of the season, and as it starts to come to an end. The illustrations in this one are also so luminous and pretty!
Count Down To Fall by Fran Hawk - This book is probably one of my personal favorites for fall - I love the woodland illustrations. The book is written in verse as we explore the way many different kinds of leaves change in autumn, and they even include aspen trees, which are my personal favorite.
Sophie's Squash by Pat Zietlow Miller and Anne Wilsdorf - Sophie finds a perfect squash, and starts treating it like a doll and taking it with her everywhere. Her parents try to convince her to give it up, but she won't until it starts to get soft and squishy - then she tucks it into a warm dirt blanket until it greets her again in the spring. I was amused by this book as a parent - you know it was written because some child somewhere really did become attached to a squash!
Pumpkin Day At The Zoo by Susan Meissner - All the zoo animals get a pumpkin treat in this colorful book! The illustrations in this one are delightful, and I love that it's written in verse.
Tractor Mac: Autumn Is Here by Billy Steers - Fergus, a new calf on the farm, starts to become afraid when everything starts to change in the fall - until he finds out the reasons why and experiences all the fun autumn can bring! I included this one especially because of the illustrations - they are so bright and cheerful and perfect to get in the mood for fall fun.
A Fall Ball For All by Jamie A. Swenson - A gorgeous picture book - the art really makes this one for me. Forest animals all gather to enjoy an autumn windfall "ball".
How Many Seeds In A Pumpkin by Margaret Macnamara - A class of children make guesses about which pumpkin holds the most seeds - and find out that size is only one factor for how many seeds a pumpkin makes. This book is also a great opportunity for a math tie-in with skip counting and multiplication.
The Scarecrow's Dance by Jane Yolen - The illustrations in this book are moody and almost creepy, but the story is cute - a scarecrow gets blown off his stake and dances down the corn rows. Then he hears a sweet prayer from a child, asking for blessing on the scarecrow in the field so they can get a good corn harvest - and the scarecrow realizes the best place he can be is right where he was all along.
Too Many Turkeys by Linda White - A really fun book about a couple who keeps a turkey...but then have trouble as all the turkeys of the forest are drawn to their yard. Fred gives away their gardening secret to the neighbors to solve their turkey problem!
Sweater Weather by Matt Phelan - This is a book of very few words, but the quirky illustrations of a rambunctious bear family were very relatable to us as a large family!
Peepers by Eve Bunting - Two boys help their dad with his leaf touring business, and make fun of the leaf "peepers" behind their backs...until the end, when they realize they sound an awful lot like the peepers as they enjoy the beauty of early winter. My kids laughed at this one. We all related to it since we live in an area with alot of "peepers"...and we sound like them when going on leaf excursions too! One mention of Halloween in this one.
When Fall Comes by Aimee M. Bissonette - This picture book is really beautiful, and explores the way animals - and people - prepare for fall and winter.
In The Middle Of Fall by Kevin Henkes - I really like this book for the younger crowd - bold illustrations, and simple text about all the colors of fall and the transition to winter.
Knight Owl by Christopher Denise - This book isn't specifically related to autumn, but to me it had a fall vibe. An owl applies to be a knight, and to his surprise is accepted! He becomes a night watchman, and uses his courage and wits to befriend the dragon that has been gobbling other knights up. Really cute book overall.
Sleep Tight Farm by Eugenie Doyle - A lovely picture book about all the ways a farm might need to get ready for winter. There are a lot of things related to harvest in this book, which is why I'm including it in the fall list, but it could be great for early winter too.
Ox-Cart Man by Donald Hill - This book shows how a family in the 1800s might have worked to support themselves throughout the year - then the man takes a trip to the market in the fall to sell their produce and trade for wares to last them through the next year.
Earl The Squirrel by Don Freeman - The kids and I enjoy this story of a little squirrel who accepts too many gifts from a little girl, until his mother insists he start working to gather his own acorns. The illustrations are really retro and cute!
Miss Suzy by Miriam Young - Another squirrel story! Miss Suzy loses her cozy home and is rescued by a band of toy soldiers. This is an adorable story with a fall feel to it.
A Fall Treasury Of Recipes, Crafts, and Wisdom by Angela Fererro-Fanning - This is a very kid-friendly craft and recipe idea book. We didn't read straight through it, but we flipped through for ideas, and I loved the cute illustrations too!
The kids remembered a couple books recently that I didn't get from our library this year, so I may very well be adding to this list in the future!
For a printable version of this list, click here!
Bonus Books!
These are books that I'm adding to this list as I find them - eventually I will add them to the printable, but for now, here they are.
The High Hills by Jill Barklem - Part of the Brambly Hedge series, this story follows Wilfred and Mr. Apple as they get lost high on a mountain and are forced to spend the night. As always, the illustrations are adorable, and the ones in this book made me think of late fall.
Otis And The Scarecrow by Loren Long - Otis the tractor plays fall games with his friends, but they can never get the scarecrow to do anything except give a grumpy face. But that doesn't stop Otis from making sure the scarecrow isn't lonely during a rainstorm. Sweet book about friendship. One mention of jack o'lanterns.
The Scarecrow by Beth Ferry - This was a precious story about a lonely scarecrow who makes friends with a crow. It's written in verse, and the illustrations are lovely!
At various times this summer...stumbling across a book by chance, seeing the news story about a lost submarine, and getting thalassaphobia videos recommended to me on Youtube (how did Youtube know I have thalassaphobia?)...I've been reminded of the incredible fact that we know so little about our own oceans. More people have been to space than have been to the deepest parts of the ocean. That is wild when you think about it! I thought studying what we DO know about the deep ocean would be a fun rabbit hole to go down with my kids in this late summer stage of the school year.
I did a little research and found a bunch of great picture books about the deep ocean and ocean exploration. These are not books about the beach, but books about the parts of the ocean that are not easy to get to, and all the creatures that lurk down there.
I encourage you to read through the descriptions before picking up any of these books for your family, because I didn't agree with everything in every one of these books, and tried to make note of that where I could. However, I think taken together, these books give a really fascinating look at the deep ocean for kids!
I also included a couple documentaries having to do with underwater creatures, if you want to make a unit study out of this list. From deep ocean creatures, submersibles, historical figures that mapped the ocean, and more - there is alot to get you started on an ocean study here!
Giant Squid by Candace Fleming - This picture book tells in pretty good detail about the mysterious Giant Squid, including it's tentacles, beak, large eye, babies, etc. The illustrations are interesting, and there is more in-depth information on the last page of the book.
Otis And Will Discover The Deep by Barb Rosenstock - A very interesting book about the first men to build their own deep-sea submersible in 1930. There is biographical information given in the back of the book as well. I love how the formatting of the words on the page add to the feel of the story!
How Deep Is The Sea by Anna Wilbourne - A great picture book to help kids understand the vastness of the ocean and the scale of how deep it really is!
Field Trip To The Ocean Deep by John Hare - This is a book with no words, with illustrations of a group of kids diving to the ocean floor in scuba gear and taking a bunch of pictures. A quirky and fun picture book!
Diving Deep by Michelle Cusolito - The previous book gives an imaginative look at diving to the ocean floor, but this book goes through all the ways that humans actually DO dive down into the ocean! Great illustrations and lots of facts included. One reference to "millions of years".
Flying Deep by Michelle Cusolito - Another book by the same author, taking a closer look at what it would be like to go down to the sea floor onboard a submersible such as the Alvin, which is the longest continually-operating submersible in the world.
From Shore To Ocean Floor by Gill Arbuthnott - A very detailed book about the history of ocean exploration, and what we do know about the ocean floors. There are some things in this book I wouldn't agree with or appreciate - for example, assumptions about the age of the earth, environmentalism, information about various false gods/goddesses in ocean lore. But there is so much other interesting information in this book that it outweighs the negative aspects, so I think it's worthwhile if you're willing to wade through it.
How Deep Is The Ocean? by Kathleen Weidner Zoehfeld - A great picture book about various creatures that live at different ocean depths, including information about the pressures deep down in the ocean. The illustrations are colorful and fun in this picture book!
Dive To The Deep Ocean by Deborah Kovacs - A very detailed history about the Alvin submersible, and others that came after it. The Alvin was the first submersible to explore the wreck of the Titanic!
Solving The Puzzle Under The Sea by Robert Burleigh - This book is about Marie Tharp, who was one of the people to first create a map of the ocean floor using sonar. There are a couple different picture books about Marie Tharp, but this one was the less obnoxiously feminist of the two I read. I also liked that it was more detailed about the process of mapping the ocean floor.
Trail Blazer Of The Sea by Jean Lee Latham - This chapter book is the one and only book for children that I could find about Matthew Maury, who was the first person to recognize that there were currents in the ocean and map them. This book is hard to find - in print, I could only find it on Purple House Press, but it's well written and worth the effort to search it out if you are doing an ocean study! You can also read it on the computer only here if you are interested in previewing it.
Yoshi And The Ocean by Lindsay Moore - This book is about a sea turtle that was nursed back to health and then released. We follow her as she travels all through the ocean and back to the beach where she was born. It is amazing that little sea turtles can travel so incredibly far in the ocean, and this book gives lots of additional information about sea turtles in the back as well.
Into The Deep: An Exploration Of Our Oceans by Annika Seems and Wolfgang Dreyer - This is a big book, full of colorful illustrations and lots of information about different sea creatures and the ocean itself. This is a long one, so I haven't read every page yet, but from a limited flip-through I didn't see any references to evolution, etc. There is page after page of beautiful illustrations and information, and I think we'll be looking through this one for a while!
Documentaries:
The Riot And The Dance: Water - My kids have watched this documentary a couple times now, and my oldest declared it "such a good documentary" - I have to agree! It's a nature documentary from a Christian perspective, and it is truly impressive the quality of shots they were able to get on a relatively low budget. The music really sets the mood for a documentary, and I also learned about some creatures I legitimately never knew about before. Really interesting, and inspiring!
My Octopus Teacher - This documentary isn't so much about the deep ocean, but it is an interesting peek into the world of an octopus. I had two different people recommending this to me, and after watching it I know why! Some mentions of "millions of years of evolution" in this documentary, so when I let my kids watch it we will just talk about that beforehand.
I have been procrastinating on sharing this post because I keep thinking that as soon as I share it, I'll stumble across other books or documentaries that I'll wish I included - but it's time to get this published. Expect this post to be updated with more resources as time goes on, and if you know of any great resources about the deep ocean, please let me know!
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