Fall Read Alouds: The 20 Best Picture Books for Autumn
Regardless of which side of the pumpkin spice debate you land on-- it is impossible not to like fall. It's got some of the best things our world has to offer, all wrapped up in one glorious season. I'm talking about chilly weather, fall-scented candles, football that I pretend to watch (when in reality, I’m there for the game day food), Hocus Pocus, and picking out the perfect Halloween costume.
As a teacher, fall can be pretty awesome too. Those late days of September and early October can be the glorious time of the year when your class has mastered your rules, expectations, and procedures (This is not true every year. If you have a class that is still getting there, keep your head up. We've all been there!). Hopefully, your classroom culture is warm, and many friendships are developing as each day passes.
One of my favorite parts of being a teacher is the read-aloud. No matter what grade you teach, they love when you read to them. The right books will keep them engaged and lead to great class discussions. These twenty fall-themed books will get your class ready for all fall has to offer. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do!
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If I Built a School
If you want to get your students' imaginations running, read If I Built a School. Jack fantasizes about building his ideal school and all it would entail. Your students will be carried away by the Chris Van Dusen’s rhymes and will be itching to brainstorm ideas to improve their school. Depending on the grade, you could even have the students draw their perfect school, label the different features, and present it to the class. The activity options to go along with this story are endless, and if they love this story, they’ll also love If I Built a House and If I Built a Car
The Very Last Leaf
Have you ever struggled with anxiety? If you haven't, I'm almost positive you've had students that have struggled with it. The Very Last Leaf is about a little yellow leaf named Lance who is too afraid to fall. Lance's anxiety worsens as the other leaves around him begin to fall, but he is still too scared. This read-aloud will encourage your students to face their fears and believe in themselves-- a reminder we all need sometimes.
Apples for Everyone
I might need to take a break and get a snack because just writing about Apples for Everyone makes me hungry. This is a nonfiction book that teaches about the life cycle of an apple. Students know that they eat apples in the fall, whether caramel apples, apple cider, or apple pie. However, most of them probably don't know how they get their apples! My favorite activity to accompany this book is to do an apple taste test. You will be shocked by how many students haven't tried all of the different apples. Often, they will come away with a new favorite kind of apple that they will request for their parents to buy at the grocery store. Plus, what teacher doesn't love the opportunity to give a healthy snack?!
Owl Babies
Owl Babies is a story about three small owls that wake up in their tree one day to find their mom is gone. The siblings speculate about where she is and what she is doing. A challenge is set before them - they have to face their environment without her for the first time. The book is beautifully written, and the illustrations are dark and spooky (perfect fall vibes). If you’re looking for a way to incorporate reading and art, you may want to check out this art mini-lesson to accompany the book. Your students will love learning all about actual and implied texture while creating their very own owl babies.
A Camping Spree with Mr. Magee
Your kids will love this thrill ride adventure book! Mr. Magee and his dog Dee might have a relaxing camping trip in mind, but a bear that stumbles upon their campground might have a different vacation in mind for them. Your students will love hearing how Mr. Magee and his trusty sidekick get out of this sticky situation!
Because of an Acorn
I love Because of an Acorn! It is a nonfiction text that ties together all of the wonderful parts of nature that fall has to offer. The author makes the connection of how each part of the ecosystem relates to the other. That can be a difficult concept for our primary students to understand but the author, Lola Schaefer, writes it with simplicity. After reading, you could go on a nature walk outside the school where you count how many of the organisms from the book you can spot.
Goodbye Summer, Hello Autumn
I can't speak for you, but I'm always ready to say goodbye to summer and hello to autumn by the time the heat dissolves into a nice chill. There is something refreshing and rejuvenating about a new season - almost like a blank slate. In this story, a young girl walks through her town, observing the end of summer and the beginning of fall. Your students will love the simple yet charming illustrations. Goodbye Summer, Hello Autumn models observation in an exciting way. This read aloud would be the perfect segue into a science lesson about seasons. I know we all love sneaking in as many cross-curricular moments as possible! Check out this mini-lesson all about seasons. Your students will love learning about why the seasons change with this no print, no prep lesson.
A Tree for All Seasons
Sometimes I forget how much students love nonfiction books for read-aloud time! A Tree for All Seasons is a perfect example of a nonfiction text that will interest your littles. The book describes what happens to trees in the different seasons. Kids love talking about their experiences with trees in the summer, spring, winter, and fall. You will be surprised by how observant they are.
If you’re looking for an art project that will tap into your students love of fall, Check out this art mini-lesson all about warm colors.
fall art project
Oscar the Almost Butterfly
Most people think butterflies are only a spring thing, but in reality they’re missing out on one of the best things about fall - monarch butterflies! Oscar the Almost Butterfly is a sweet book about a caterpillar with a run-in with a monarch butterfly who tells him that Oscar will eventually be able to fly to Mexico! . Oscar is elated at the news, though his friends think he is crazy and didn't believe him. Oscar does end up transforming - but not into a butterfly like he hoped. Instead, he’s heartbroken when he finds out he’s a moth and not a monarch - and moths don’t migrate. Oscar doesn’t let his nay-saying moth friends get him down, and eventually makes his dream to travel come true.
In the fall, monarchs are migrating south to Mexico and it’s the perfect time to hunt for eggs on milkweed plants if you live in their migration path! One of my favorite ways to celebrate fall is to raise monarch caterpillars, then tag and release the butterflies - it’s one of those things students remember for life - especially when one of your tagged butterflies is found in Mexico! (Yes, this happened to us!)
Hello, Little One
Sometimes we all need an older friend who can guide and impart their wisdom to us. That's what a tiny caterpillar finds in a beautiful orange monarch butterfly. Hello, Little One teaches about the lifecycle of a butterfly intriguingly, with beautiful illustrations. In one of my favorite parts, the young caterpillar admires the butterfly and expresses how he wants to be just like him and be able to do all he does. I'm paraphrasing, but the butterfly tells him that someday he will be able to, but for now, to enjoy his life as a caterpillar. Wow. I can relate to that. Sometimes we are so excited for what we believe the future has in store for us that we miss all the great stuff that our present offers. I think even our young students struggle with that sometimes. They look forward to being old enough to have a locker, play sports, or maybe even be double-digits that they forget how much fun they can have right now. It's a good reminder for all of us!
Pumpkin Soup
Pumpkin Soup is a story about three friends who have a seamless soup-making routine. Everyone has their job and their meal turns out perfectly every time. Until one morning, Duck wakes up early and goes to the pot, thinking how it would be fun to be the head cook. When his friends awake, they tell him that they don't want him to do a different job, which causes Duck to run away. This story is relatable for anyone that has ever been in a tiff with friends or working on group work and didn't see eye-to-eye with the other group members. It's a great time to facilitate a discussion on how to resolve these issues and mend friendships.
Seed, Sprout, Pumpkin Pie
Seed, Sprout, Pumpkin Pie follows the life cycle of a pumpkin and then details all the ways that we enjoy using pumpkins in the fall. The stunning pictures by will have your students wanting to visit the pumpkin patch, carve one, and eat some pie!
If you’re looking for a way to incorporate art and science - use this read aloud and the art lesson below! Your students will learn all about primary colors while creating their very own pumpkin patch!
The Pumpkin Circle
The Pumpkin Circle takes the reader through the lifecycle of a pumpkin. Similar to Seed, Sprout, Pumpkin Pie, this book also uses real photographs. I'm always pleasantly surprised with how much my students love reading books that feature real pictures. My students always benefit from being able to see precisely what the text is teaching. These nonfiction books are a great way to sneak in some science into your jam-packed schedule.
How Many Seeds in a Pumpkin?
In this book, a class performs a science experiment to hypothesize how many seeds are in three different-sized pumpkins. The students cut open their pumpkins and come up with different strategies to count the seeds inside. This is the perfect book to use to infuse science into math as you cut open your own pumpkin to count the seeds! The real-life application of skip counting will be a game changer for any students who are struggling with the concept. You might also like this skip counting by 10’s mini-lesson!
The Leaf Thief
If you haven't read The Leaf Thief, believe me, you will fall in love! This adorable story is about Squirrel, who loves counting his leaves but realizes that someone has begun stealing them! Though Woodpecker assures him that no one stole his leaves, which happened last year too, he is not convinced! This book reviews simple science concepts in a silly way. If you teach a primary grade level, I think you will find this on your annual must-read list!
Fall Weather, Cooler Temperatures
This book is excellent for young students to teach them about the season changing from summer to fall. It explains things like the summer solstice and fall equinox and how we should expect the weather to change during this time. The book discusses how we prepare for the change and how we begin wearing different clothes so we can be comfortable in the new temperatures. Sometimes we assume that kids know these things, but some don't know what to expect as the seasons begin to change.
The Gruffalo
The Gruffalo is a charming story about a mouse that goes on a walk in the woods. As he comes across several intimidating characters who want to eat him, he has the genius idea of creating a fictional character called the Gruffalo. A giant beast with terrible tusks and claws. The other animals are soon scared of the Gruffalo. However, the joke might be on the mouse when he stumbles upon a character that looks suspiciously like the Gruffalo he had described. This spooky and silly story will be the perfect addition to your fall read-aloud collection!
picture book for fall
Room on the Broom
Room on the Broom has become one of my favorite Halloween books! It is eerie and adorable. A witch is riding on her broomstick, and every time she lands, someone else asks her if they could ride on her broom as well. She always agrees enthusiastically. However, her broom eventually becomes so weighed down with all of the new passengers that it breaks. When a menacing dragon enters the scene, and the witch seems doomed, her friends come to the rescue. I love that this book allows discussing inclusion and being assertive enough to ask others to hang out or play together.
Thankful
Life gets busy, and let's face it-- sometimes it's just plain hard. Often we forget to be thankful for all the small things we take for granted every day. This book will guide children through feeling grateful for all of the awesome stuff in our lives and the people that dedicate their lives to service so that others can live better lives. Practicing gratitude brings us to the here and now while it forces you to focus on the good in our lives instead of the bad. Practicing gratitude isn't instinctual for us, so I love showing my students my gratitude journal. I will read them a couple of examples of the sort of things I would write. I then have the students keep a daily gratitude journal during November and give them some time to complete it daily.
Balloons Over Broadway
I have always had a soft spot for the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. Something about it has always seemed magical to me. Balloons Over Broadway is the story of Tony, the original puppeteer of the parade. Your students will learn about the parade's history and how it's evolved over the years. When I first read this to my students, I assumed they would all know about the Thanksgiving Day Parade, but some had never seen it! I would recommend showing a couple of YouTube clips before reading the book so that students can visualize the parade as the author describes it. If your students didn't watch the parade before, they will be begging their parents to watch it on Thanksgiving morning this year!
And that concludes this list of the best read alouds for fall! I hope you have found some new favorites, and some ideas for bringing picture books into your science, math, and art instruction!
