Fall is more than simply leaves changing color, it is about getting ready for winter. For birds or insects, it might mean migrating south. For other animals, it might mean getting ready to hibernate. For trees and other plants, it might mean dropping leaves. There’s a lot going on in the autumn.
Beginning Readers
How Do You Know It’s Fall? (Rookie Read-About Science) by Lisa M. Herrington, Randy C. Bilik, Jeanne M., Ph.D. Clidas
Age Range: 5 – 8 years
Publisher: Childrens Pr (September 1, 2013)
ISBN-10: 0531225755
ISBN-13: 978-0531225752
Exploring Fall by Terri DeGezelle
See how fall brings changes for weather, people, plants, and animals.
The book is part of the Exploring the Seasons Series.
Age Range: 4 – 8 years
Publisher: Capstone Press (February 1, 2012)
ISBN-10: 9781429679084
ISBN-13: 978-1429679084
ASIN: 1429679085
Count Down to Fall by Fran Hawk and illustrated by Sherry Neidigh
Told in rhyme, the book counts down from ten to one things found outside in autumn. The back matter has suggestions for related science and math activities.
Age Range: 5 – 6 years
Publisher: Sylvan Dell Publishing; Reprint edition (March 5, 2013)
ISBN-10: 9781607188650
ISBN-13: 978-1607188650
ASIN: 1607188651
Picture Books
Summer Green to Autumn Gold: Uncovering Leaves’ Hidden Colors by Mia Posada.
Have you ever wondered how and why leaves of certain trees change color in the fall? This book gives the answers. Mia Posada combines gorgeous –gorgeous! — cut paper collage and watercolor illustrations with a succinct explanation of the science behind all those brilliant colors.
The extensive back matter includes a glossary and links to hands-on experiments.
Summer Green to Autumn Gold is a perfect combination that will appeal to both budding artists and scientists.
Age Range: 5 – 10 years
Publisher: Millbrook Press TM (August 6, 2019)
ISBN-10: 1541528999
ISBN-13: 978-1541528994
Full of Fall by April Pulley Sayre
The author pairs her own gorgeous photographs with gentle, lyrical text. The back matter is full of scientific information about leaves changing color. Wonderful!
Age Range: 3 – 8 years
Publisher: Beach Lane Books (August 29, 2017)
ISBN-10: 1481479849
ISBN-13: 978-1481479844
Awesome Autumn by Bruce Goldstone
As you can see from the cover, Goldstone’s beautiful photography celebrates the vibrant color of fall leaves. He also has pages about how autumn feels, how autumn tastes, how it sounds and although he doesn’t have a page for it, you definitely get an idea of the smells of autumn as well, from decaying leaves to Thanksgiving dinner. He even points out some autumn shapes.
He ventures on to talk about the fall migrations and hibernation. At the end are instructions for fall activities such as roasting pumpkin seeds. If you are ready to jump into a pile of colorful autumn leaves, then you are ready for this book!
Reading level: Ages 4 and up
Hardcover: 48 pages
Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR); First Edition edition (August 7, 2012)
ISBN-10: 0805092102
ISBN-13: 978-0805092103
Why Do Leaves Change Color? (Let’s-Read-and-Find-Out Science 2) by Betsy Maestro and illustrated by Loretta Krupinski
Age Range: 4 – 8 years
Grade Level: Preschool – 3
Publisher: HarperCollins; Revised edition (August 4, 2015)
ISBN-10: 9780062382016
ISBN-13: 978-0062382016
ASIN: 0062382012
Butterfly Tree by Sandra Markle and illustrated by Leslie Wu
Age Range: 4 – 8 years
Publisher: Peachtree Publishers (September 1, 2011)
ISBN-10: 9781561455393
ISBN-13: 978-1561455393
ASIN: 1561455393
Leaf Jumpers by Carole Gerber and illustrated by Leslie Evans
Beautifully illustrated, Leaf Jumpers allows children to explore different kinds of tree leaves and learn why leaves change color in the fall.
Age Range: 3 – 7 years
Publisher: Charlesbridge (July 1, 2004)
ISBN-10: 1570914974
ISBN-13: 978-1570914973
Middle Grade
The Acadia Files: Book Two, Autumn Science by Katie Coppens and illustrated by Holly Hatam
After the story, each chapter has a few pages of illustrations and text formatted like a laboratory notebook. The illustrations are delightful and really make the book. Educators will appreciate this section as a jumping off place for related activities. Most of the topics may loosely tie to the season, but could be relevant all year around.
The bottom line: The Acadia Files: Book Two, Autumn Science is an appealing way to introduce science to kids who might be put off by more traditional informational text. Why not give it a try?
See our full review and activity suggestions at Growing With Science blog.
Grade Level: 4 – 7
Publisher: Tilbury House Publishers; 1 edition (September 18, 2018)
ISBN-10: 0884486044
ISBN-13: 978-0884486046
With short sentences and controlled vocabulary, Rissman uses a question-and-answer format to introduce beginning readers to bats. Find out what a bat is, what they eat, and where they go in the winter.
Bats is a reader level 2, for children 4 to 8 years old. It is full of gorgeous full-color photographs, accurate scientific information, and at the top of some pages are silly riddles and jokes that kids will love. The photograph of baby fruit bats all cuddled in blankets at a bat rescue nursery is too cute for words. This book is a great way to find out more about bats!
In addition to facts about bats, the author discusses how humans effect bat populations. She offers suggestions how we can protect and encourage bats.
Author Marta Magellan starts by explaining all the ways that bats are helpful, including that bats:
Gail Gibbons always knows what kids are curious about for a given topic. She describes different kinds of bats, as well as their physical characteristics, behaviors, and life cycle.
by Mary Kay Carson and photographs by her husband, Tom Uhlman
It’s always tricky to know where to place these delightfully imaginative books. Although the story flies off into the realm of science fiction, readers are sure to learn a lot of science facts.
Readers learn a lot from a mixed up bat who thinks she’s a bird. A classic.
Along with some fun facts, this book also starts and ends with a list of reasons ladybugs are important in nature. Part of the Rookie Read-About Science series.
Illustrated with colorful stock photographs, the text features controlled vocabulary and bold glossary words, plus short sentences perfect for beginning readers. A brief introduction to the wonderful world of beetles.
Although named ladybugs, these insects are really beetles. Young readers learn about the lady beetle life cycle. Watercolor illustrations by the author.
The beetle installment from this long-running author/illustrator collaboration is as lovely and beautifully written as the others in the series.
by Judy Allen and illustrated by Tudor Humphries
by Gail Gibbons
by Laura Purdie Salas and illustrated by Jeff Yesh
by Loree Griffin Burns and illustrated by Ellen Harasimowicz
by Jean C. Echols is a great resource for educators.
by Rita Gray and illustrated by Kenard Pak
Featuring short sentences and controlled vocabulary, these informational books help young children learn about dogs while learning to read.
Jodi Wheeler-Toppen has come up with over 20 fun and appropriate hands-on science activities for kids to discover more about dog biology and behavior. For example, they can learn more about what colors dogs see by hiding different colored balls in a grassy lawn and watching how easy it is for the dog to find them.
With the lively photographs we have come to expect from National Geographic, this books helps kids understand their dog’s behaviors, both sound communication and body language. Cool!
Beginning with how the moon is thought to have come about and how the moon compares with Earth, Aguilar then takes the reader on a ride through other moons, as well as moon myths and hoaxes, before settling down for a detailed discussion of moon features. Perfect for lunar landing anniversaries is a section about what the Apollo astronauts discovered.
Although it sounds complicated, it is actually simply very well organized. After reading it, you will wonder why more books aren’t organized this way.
Our family enjoyed this delightful folktale about the phases of the moon.
DK books are known for their high quality photographs and well-researched information.
Watch a tiny tadpole grow into an adult frog in this book full of facts and photographs. Learn what tadpoles eat, how they survive, and how they transform into frogs.
DK books are known for their high quality illustrations. This title emphasizes frog development through the life cycle. Appropriate for preschoolers.
When you pick up the book, the first things that catch your eye are the brightly colored frogs on the cover. Margherita Borin’s watercolor, pen and pencil illustrations leap off the page. They are both marvelously accurate and cleverly put together in ways that will make young readers smile.
As you can see from this list, toads often get ignored. This title by biologist and photographer Doug Wechsler helps bring attention to these neglected creatures.
Lushly illustrated double-page spreads highlight 11 different species of frogs from around the world.
This spiral bound book has see-through pages that lets the reader see the interior anatomy of frogs. Check out how their skeletons are different from ours.
by Mark Moffett
by Wendy Pfeffer and illustrated by Holly Keller
by Gail Gibbons, a prolific and award-winning author
These classic stories will inspire young readers to want to learn more about frogs and toads.
Raccoons are nocturnal animals.
This title is an informational book for children in first and second grade.
Although older, the books in this series are uniformly excellent.
Told in romping rhyme, the books in the Cat in the Hat’s Learning Library series reveal serious, well-researched facts.
Another interactive picture book, Moonlight Animals allows children to “light up” nighttime animals, no battery required. (No “magic” required either).
Preschoolers will enjoy this book that is likely to soothe those anxious about the dark and at the same time teach about nocturnal animals.
by Allan Fowler
by Ruth Heller
by Christiane Kump Tibbitts and illustrated by Linda Garrow
by Anne Hunter
by Anthony D. Fredericks and illustrated by Jennifer Dirubbio
by Lloyd G. Douglas
by Lola M. Schaefer
by Eric Carle
Learning body parts is important for identification and for understanding function. This series emphasizes what different parts look like and what they are for.
Straightforward sentences help readers learn about ocean creatures, not just fish.
Go on a trip to the Amazon with conservation biologist Scott Dowd to learn about how fish like tiny cardinal tetras are important to the ecosystem.
by Katherine Roy
A classic book about facing fears and overcoming danger by working together.
