Fall is the perfect season to refresh your read-aloud rotation with books that captivate young minds and spark seasonal curiosity. Many books are listed as appropriate for particular ages, but like “your wooden spoons”, a parent knows their child best. One child will sit glued to your lab for endless hours of reading, while another wants to hear the story while their trucks work on the construction site. Certain aspects of a story are important for different ages: repetition & rhyming, amount of story per page, and topics included.
What is unique about picture books?
I always struggle a bit with identifying a GOOD book. If I get to hold it in my hand, flip through the pages and scan the illustrations, I can be a good judge. But online, that’s trouble. So I did some research on how books are categorized these days to help understand which books are good for this age, and some down the line.
A picture book includes and average of 32 words per page for ages 5 and under. Books for babies (ages 0-1) have less than 300 words. Toddler (ages 1-3) books have a maximum of 500 words. Preschooler (ages 3-4) books have a maximum of 1000 words. All three categories can range from illustration only to elaborate illustration.
As of late, authors have begun publishing against the grain, creating picture books with many pages. These may look like small chapter books, or books with few sentences and many pages. They may cover more intricate topics, but often have simple language. Younger children may enjoy listening to these books – if a child enjoys a book or character, they will often return to it once they are able to read themselves! Some teachers label these as “E for Everyone”.
Grow the Reader during Fall
Picture books and early readers with interesting illustrations and magnetic storyline have been interesting to my toddler. I have found that adding these occasionally to our reading rotation stretches the attention span, stretches vocabulary and gives more diversification of topics. Sometimes, a mama can only read so many books about construction… (or is that just me!) Don’t be afraid to stretch your listener, and adapt your book selection as a result! That being said, my two year old will gladly be audience to all of these books…
Repetition and Rhyme
Both rhyme and repetition have large impact on a child before they are of reading age. Books with repetition make stories memorable and help kids understand verbal animation. Verbal animation will then teach them to read for themselves with expression, making any story more captivating.
Repetition’s partner is rhyme. Rhyme can help a child identify the sounds in words, and rhyme awareness which is a predictor of how easily reading will come to a child. Eventually, a child can anticipate a rhyming word and make guesses as to what the rhyme might be. This is not only a fun game, but a precursor for reading. (1)
With these books, each category is labeled so parents can make the best judgment call for their child!
“Apples to Oregon” by Deborah Hopkinson & Nancy Carpenter
This sweet story is a theatrical introduction to American history like the Oregon Trail and the gold rush. One fruit loving father, and a helpful daughter, tackle the trip westward with a wagon full of trees and family. Enjoyable for both the young listener and the reader.
Repetition & Rhyming: No, but fun use of simile, idiom and personification
Words per page: Preschooler
Topics included: fruit, trials, folklore, American history, helpfulness
“Curious George: Curious About Fall” by H. A. Rey
H. A. Rey has penned many Curious George stories, but the tabbed seasonal board books have become a favorite. These stories lean more toward poetry and highlight the favorite past times of each season.
Repetition & Rhyming: Yes
Words per page: Toddler
Topics included: food, baking, sports, school, colors
“County Fair” by Laura Ingalls Wilder
The Little House on the Prairie stories are wonderful chapter books following the Ingalls family in the American Midwest in the 1870’s. “County Fair” is a small side story about minor character, Almonzo. Join him on a walk around the county fair, and share in his pride from winning a contest.
Repetition & Rhyming: No
Words per page: Preschooler
Topics included: farming, fair, community, contest, hard work
“The Golden Acorn” by Katy Hudson
The illustrations by Katy Hudson were the reason I purchased everything she’s ever written. Not only are the characters endearing, they are humorous and friendship driven. Make sure you give google a search for the rest of her books!
Repetition & Rhyming: No, but fun use of onomatopoeia
Words per page: Preschool
Topics included: competition, teamwork, scavenger hunt, friendship
“A Pumpkin for Peter” by Beatrix Potter
Sweet Peter Rabbit and family take a short trip to pick a pumpkin from Benjamin’s pumpkin patch. The illustrations are whimsical, and yet the plot is emotional enough to have discussions about being afraid and being brave. All for the sake of a pumpkin.
Repetition & Rhyming: No
Words per page: Toddler
Topics included: pumpkins, friendship, courage, fear
“Fletcher and the falling leaves” by Julia Rawlinson
Fletcher the fox notices the changes in weather as his favorite tree sheds its leaves in the fall. Despaired by the change, he scrambles to help his friend keep and save its leaves. He learns ways animals can use the leaves, and that a little bit of change is always inevitable.
Repetition & Rhyming: No, but does have repetition of concept
Words per page: Preschooler
Topics included: changing seasons, caring for others, change
“Every Autumn Comes the Bear” by Jim Arnosky
I stumbled upon Jim Arnosky through my Amazon recommendations, and have been remarkably delighted. He writes mostly nature children’s books, including an almanac and nature study by a cute character named, ‘Crinkleroot’. This particular book of his highlights the hibernation process of a bear pre-winter and the other seasonal animals it encounters on the way to his den.
Repetition & Rhyming: No
Words per page: Toddler
Topics included: animals, seasons, hibernation
“Sophie’s Squash” by Pat Zietlow Miller
Sophie’s parents buy a squash at the farmer’s market for supper, and Sophie makes a best friend of her dinner. This story was such an animated book about friendship, that we too had a one-year-old carrying around a butternut squash named, ‘Bernice’.
Repetition & Rhyming: No, but lots of nuanced tone and emotion
Words per page: Toddler
Topics included: vegetables, friendship, how plants grow, imagination
“The Pumpkin Patch Parable” by Liz Curtis Higgs
This story is a picture book connecting the dots between a pumpkin and our lives in Christ. This is a sweet way of making a jack-o-latern a heartwarming image of Christ in us, instead of its typical ghoulishness.
Repetition & Rhyming: No, but analogy
Words per page: Toddler-preschooler
Topics included: farming, vegetables, change, the Gospel
“The Berenstain Bears: Harvest Festival” by Mike Berenstain
Celebrate the months of September and October with the rural community as ‘harvest season’. The Berenstain Bears have the opportunity to see how food and fellowship foster community, and how the change of seasons brings people together. All these good gifts point to Jesus! (2)
Repetition & Rhyming: No
Words per page: Preschooler
Topics included: harvest, farming, community, faith
“Hello, Harvest Moon” by Ralph Fletcher
A highly recommended book about the lunar transition of seasons and how the world experiences it. We enjoyed the beautiful images and the thoughtful mini discussions about what the night is like in fall. Shorter days are not always appreciated by toddlers or mamas alike, but there is much beauty to be found.
Repetition & Rhyming: Yes
Words per page: Toddler
Topics included: seasons, moon, nighttime, animals
“It’s Pumpkin Day, Mouse” by Laura Numeroff
With characters from “If You Give a Mouse a Cookie”, this little story is a sweet story of expression and pumpkin art. Our son had his first experience carving pumpkins this year and wanted one happy, and one sad with a blue tear like his book. This one has been on repeat all season, and I now have it read to me by my two-year old!
Repetition & Rhyming: Yes
Words per page: Baby
Topics included: surprise, friendship, vegetables, celebration
Bonus Books
As this post was being typed, we stumbled upon even more honorable mentions
- “The Scarecrow” by Beth Ferry: this book falls in the same category of “The Giving Tree” by Shel Silverstein; a sweet story but leaves the understanding mama just a bit teary.
- “The Scarecrow’s Hat” by Ken Brown: a funny and repetitive saga of one chicken’s determination to trade her way to the scarecrow’s hat.
Wrapping Up Your Fall Reading Adventure
Exploring fall-themed picture books with your little ones is more than just story time, it’s an opportunity to build vocabulary, encourage imagination, and develop a lifelong love of reading. By mixing in books with repetition, rhyme, and engaging illustrations, you can keep your child excited about stories all season long. Whether you’re revisiting classics or discovering new favorites, these read-aloud moments create memories that last far beyond the pages.
To read more about our two favorite R’s, or the new line of Berenstain Bears books, read here:
Have a favorite fall book? Feel free to share with us or down below in the comments!
Read More:
Finding Quiet Moments to Read: Using Yoto MYO Cards This Fall
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