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It's funny how fall is the season many of us enjoy the most. I don't know if it's the changing of the leaves and the dissipation of the heat, the aroma of spice and soup, the noise and thunder of football games, plump pumpkins and scary costumes, the smell and sight of smoke from burning leaves or just the natural gathering of family and friends near the fireplace. Whatever the reason, I've compiled a group of picture books that help children – and adults - celebrate this special time of year.
“The Perfect Pumpkin Pie” , by Denys Cazet, is a hilarious Halloween story that mostly takes place in a kitchen. When old Mr. Wilkerson dies - while eating his most favorite dessert, pumpkin pie - his ghost comes back to haunt the new residents as grandma bakes young Jack a yummy pumpkin pie. And, the ghost of Mr. Wilkerson isn't satisfied with the way grandma's pie looks. So, she bakes him another and another, until she finally gets it right. The text is great fun because the ghost chants the same rhyme throughout the story and the pictures of Mr. Wilkerson will have your little ones giggling. This is a perfect book for ages 4 through adult.
“Fall Is Here! Counting 1 to 10” by Pamela Jane, and illustrated by Steve Haskamp, is the perfect counting book. The format is clever and unique in the layout of small pages depicting the lower numbers and gradually getting larger as the numbers go up. The objects counted are all fall items such as acorns, scarecrows and apples. And, the text has simple rhyming patterns. This is a winner for 3 to 5 year olds.
“A - Apple Pie” , by Gennady Spirin, is a beautifully illustrated alphabet book depicting a long ago Victorian era. This picture book is wondrous to look at, ponder over, enjoy and discover hidden pictures within each page. I especially like the way the author included the cursive writing along with the manuscript for youngsters to compare. But this book isn't just for the young, but the young at heart.
“The Bumpy Little Pumpkin” , by Margery Cuyler, and illustrated by Will Hillenbrand, is a story about choosing what your heart tells you instead of what others believe you should want. Little Nell has just selected the smallest, bumpiest looking pumpkin in her pumpkin patch. Her older sisters make fun of her selection. But help is on the way in the form of the animals that live near her home. The solution is perfect and her bumpy jack-o-lantern manages to glow with a smiling face. This is a great book for ages 4 to 8.
“Sunshine Makes the Seasons” , by Franklyn M. Branley, and wonderfully illustrated by Michael Rex, explains in basic terms how and where the sun shines on the earth according to the seasons. There's even a simple experiment that children can try in order to better understand the rotation of the earth on its axis as it goes around the sun. This is the perfect book to help youngsters better understand why our days are growing shorter and the nights longer. This book is for ages 5 through 9.
“In the Leaves” , by Huy Voun Lee, applies Chinese writing to the fall season. Young Xiao Ming and his friends go on a trip to a farm. The author ties this wondrous language into a simple trip and familiarizes the fall season with Chinese characters. The tie-in of the farm in the fall with the language makes for much easier understanding of a most difficult language.
And last, but not least, “Game Day” , by Ticki and Ronde Barber, is a story about working hard and persevering – and not giving up. The illustrations, by Barry Root, perfectly demonstrate the feeling of practice and game day down on the field. But what I like best about this book by twin brothers who are professional football players is how important everyone is on a team. It takes a team to accomplish the goal of winning and this is a great book for ages 6 through 10