A Few Good Fall Books

Kate and I have been reading some books about Fall and I wanted to share some with you. I try to keep a small basket filled with seasonal books in her playroom, so I can change up the titles we read every few weeks.

First, she loves Fletcher and the Falling Leaves by Julia Rawlinson with illustrations by Tiphanie Beeke (Greenwillow Books, 2006.) Fletcher the fox (an adorable creature) is concerned for his favorite tree now that the leaves have begin to fall. He is worried that all the woodland creatures seem to be "stealing" the fallen leaves, and he can't keep watch over them for the tree. The beautiful text and stunning art give children a reason to run outside and enjoy the leaves as they hit the ground. I especially love the way the text is put on the page as if it is itself a fluttering leaf.

Hello, Harvest Moon by Ralph Fletcher with illustrations by Kate Kiesler (Clarion Books, 2003) is a wonderful book for elementary aged children. It follows the world as the harvest moon looks upon all that happens in the nighttime. Autumn evenings are magical, as most adults are aware, but children are only just becoming aware of this beautiful twilight time. Fletcher's beautiful words allow Kiesler's muted oil paintings to give spark to the autumn nights.

Time to Sleep(Henry Holt and Co., 1997) by Denise Fleming is a wonderful book to introduce the concept of hibernation to young readers. This is a cyclical tale of how bear must tell snail, who must tell skunk, who must tell turtle, who must tell woodchuck, who must tell ladybug, who then tells bear that it is time to sleep. The youngest children will want this one read again and again, as the memorable text just call out to be joined in by all. The unique colored cotton rag illustrations are vivid and adorable.

Old Bear by Kevin Henkes (one of Kate's favorite authors...she is adamant that she will be a better big sister than Lily is in the book Julius, the Baby of the World) is another hibernation story. (Greenwillow Books, 2008.) The progression of this book takes the reader from fall all the way to spring before you even read the story. By discussing the end papers with your child, you can discuss how Henkes gives clues to what the story is about without even reading! Kate loves the watercolor and ink illustrations. Old bear goes to sleep as the leaves are falling and the snow is about to begin. The book tells of his dreams and how he wakes to a fresh new world. Henkes hits a home run with his latest addition to his literary kingdom.

Hope you have a chance to run to the library or bookstore to check out some of these titles. Happy reading!