An Autumn Greeting

“Come,” said the Wind to the Leaves on day.“
Come over the meadow and we will play.
Put on your dresses of red and gold,
For summer is gone and the days grow cold.”
                                     -- Anonymous

As the days grow cold, find a wonderful autumn book to read to a young person!

Ages 0-3

Five Little Pumpkins by Michael Scott
Toddlers will want to chant along with this popular counting rhyme.

Pumpkin Patch Party by Joel Schick
In this board book, Elmo has fun at a fall festival. Children can lift page flaps to see what surprises are hidden in the pumpkin patch Elmo visits.

Autumn Walk by Ann Burg
An adorable, bundled-up puppy walks through his neighborhood introducing children to the colorful sights of fall

Autumn by Gerda Muller
In this board book, children are shown engaging in all kinds of fun autumn activities… jumping in leaves, flying kites, and making seasonal jams.

Ages 3-5

Apples and Pumpkins by Anne Rockwell
Fall-colored pictures and a simple story relate a young girl’s excitement as she enjoys the pleasures of autumn, such as a trip to a farm and trick-or-treating.

I Know It’s Autumn by Eileen Spinelli
A girl lists all the ways she knows it’s autumn, from her father getting her coat out of storage, to watching the geese fly south, and enjoying a hayride with her family.

Clifford’s First Autumn by Norman Bridwell
Clifford, still a small, red puppy, discovers the joys of autumn with his friend Emily Elizabeth.

Ages 6-8

Fall Leaves by Don L. Curry
Fall leaves bring fun, but also some work!

Picking Apples and Pumpkins by Amy and Richard Hutchings
Children share in the pleasures of autumn as they hear the story of a family enjoying an outing together. The trip includes a visit to a farm to pick apples, pumpkins, and other fall favorites, and ends with the family baking the apples into delicious pies.

Why Do Leaves Change Color? By Betsy Maestro
In this beginning science book, children learn what happens when leaves change color in autumn and fall from the trees. The book also includes directions on how to make leaf rubbings and how to press leaves.

Ages 9-11

Autumn Moon by Jean Craighead George
This book is comprised of three stories of three different animals and how they survive during the various stages of autumn. A young deer must escape from a September hurricane, an alligator navigates through the humidity of a Florida Everglades October, and a gray wolf searches for food in an increasingly frosty November.

Autumn Across America by Seymour Simon
An information-packed book, with brightly colored photographs, teaches readers how different parts of the United States experience autumn.

A Kid’s Fall Ecojournal by Toni Albert
Kids can write about the nature they see in their own backyards and neighborhoods. This book is also full of nature activities for exploring fall, such as making leaf prints, sprouting an acorn, and more.