“Goodbye Summer … Hello Autumn”
This is the perfect book to introduce our next blog entry on new books about fall – the season and the holidays that come with it … so perfect, in fact, that we even stole the title! This stunning picture book by Kenard Pak follows a young girl as she converses with nature and greets all the signs of the coming of fall. The gorgeous watercolor and pencil illustrations, all done in double-page spreads, evoke that childlike sense of wonder at the changing of the seasons. This one is not to be missed. Enjoy all of our selections … and enjoy the season!
New Books for Younger Readers
Amazing Autumn
by Jennifer Marino Walters, illus. by John Nez
This picture book introduces the reader to autumn and also includes the concepts of colors, shapes, and sizes. The text engages the reader by asking questions and encouraging participation.
The Autumn Visitors
by Karel Hayes
This is the fourth and final book in Hayes’ Visitor series. The bear family experiences autumn in New England in this nearly wordless picture book accompanied by pen and ink and watercolor illustrations.
Bella’s Fall Coat
by Lynn Plourde, illus. by Susan Gal
This is a beautiful story about the fall season and a little girl who has outgrown her favorite coat made by her grandmother. Bella, however, must learn to deal with this change. The collage illustrations are visually appealing and convey the sense of autumn.
Birdie’s Happiest Halloween
by Sujean Rim
Birdie loves everything about autumn and especially Halloween, though this year she’s having trouble deciding what to be. A trip to the museum provides inspiration! The ending is surprising but fitting, especially considering this year’s political climate. The childlike illustrations suit the fall theme.
Bonesville by Jean-Luc Fromental, illus. by Joëlle Jolivet
This clever story introduces many of the bones of the human body. Someone or something is stealing the bones of the skeletons that reside in Bonesville. Detective Sherlock Bones is hired to crack the case, which results in a surprise ending. The bold illustrations in this oversized book, rendered in cobalt blue, black, yellow, and orange, are striking.
Boo! Haiku by Deanna Caswell, illus. by Bob Shea
This book offers a sort of poetry based guessing game. Each haiku introduces a Halloween character that is revealed when the page is turned. It’s a clever take on an interactive Halloween book. The illustrations are colorful yet simple. A note at the end provides information on the basics of haiku.
Disney Parks Presents the Haunted Mansion music by Buddy Baker, lyrics by Xavier Atencio, illus. by James Gilleard
This picture book takes a trip through the Disney theme park attraction, The Haunted Mansion. A CD featuring the song, “Grim Grinning Ghosts,” which was composed in the 1960’s, is included with the book. This is the first in a new series of Disney Parks Presents picture books.
Enzo’s Very Scary Halloween by Garth Stein, illus. by R.W. Alley
Enzo, the family dog, is very apprehensive about Halloween and all that comes with it. This entertaining story should help young readers who may also be frightened by the festivities of the holiday.
Fright Club by Ethan Long
The monsters of Fright Club convene to go over their plan for scaring children on Halloween. Things get a little crazy when a cute little bunny tries to join the group. The cartoonlike illustrations are rendered in shades of brown, green, and gray. The story is silly yet appealing.
Halloween Crafts by Anita Yasuda, illus. by Mernie Gallagher-Cole
This book provides instructions for making six projects, including a spooky treat bag, a ghostly mask, and a monster bracelet. A brief history of the holiday is included as well. This book is one of eight in the Holiday Crafts series of books.
Hocus Pocus, It’s Fall! by Anne Sibley O’Brien, illus. by Susan Gal
The magic of the changing of the seasons is presented in this celebration of fall. Through rhyming text and fold-out pages, the wonder of the season comes to life. The collage illustrations are done in a palette of vibrant reds, oranges, and yellows.
If You’re Spooky and You Know It by Aly Fronis, illus. by Jannie Ho
This board book turns the familiar rhyme into a Halloween song. Cute little monsters introduce each verse of the song.
The Itsy Bitsy Pilgrim by Jeffrey Burton, illus. by Sanja Rescek
A Thanksgiving twist on the familiar rhyme, “The Itsy Bitsy Spider,” is the basis of this board book.
Little Blue Truck’s Halloween by Alice Schertle, illus. by Jill McElmurry
This rhyming board book is sure to delight fans of Little Blue Truck. Children can lift the flaps to reveal which animal friend is wearing which costume. The illustrations include all the elements of a Halloween party, and like Little Blue, are nostalgic and retro looking.
Margret & H.A. Rey’s Hooray for Halloween, Curious George by Margret and H.A. Rey, illus. by Martha Weston
Curious George has a Halloween adventure that’s sure to entertain his fans.
Mix & Match Halloween by Kimberley Faria, illus. by Dean Gray
Flaps to turn, instead of pages, allow children to create some creepy and fun Halloween characters!
Monster Trucks by Anika Denise, illus. by Nate Wragg
In this rhyming story, a creepy group of monster trucks is ready to race. But at the last minute, a little blue bus enters the race. This story is full of monstrous fun and is sure to be popular.
My Leaf Book by Monica Wellington
A little girl collects leaves of all shapes, colors, and sizes to paste into her leaf book. It’s sure to inspire children to collect leaves of their own. The illustrations are a vivid display of fall color.
A Teeny Tiny Halloween by Lauren L. Wohl, illus. by Henry Cole
The creators of this picture book have put a modern spin on the familiar Teeny Tiny folktale. In this version, the teeny tiny woman’s cottage gets buried under autumn leaves. Her problem is solved when three trick-or-treaters dig through the leaves to uncover the source of the aroma of cookies baking. The illustrations are done in an autumn palette of oranges, reds, and browns. This will make for a fun Halloween read-aloud.
Thanksgiving Counting by Barbara Barbieri McGrath, illus. by Peggy Tagel
This is a perfect board book for introducing toddlers to the concept of Thanksgiving. The simplistic illustrations are bright and colorful.
There was an Old Lady who Swallowed a Turkey by Lucille Colandro, illus. by Jared Lee
This is a Thanksgiving rendition of the familiar cumulative rhyme.
This is the House that Monsters Built by Steve Metzger, illus. by Jared Lee
This is a Halloween version of The House that Jack Built and includes all of the traditional Halloween characters, a vampire, a ghost, a zombie, a mummy, and more!
Wonderfall by Michael Hall
A tree is the “central character” in this collection of poems that describe different things taking place around it as the season changes from fall to winter. The title of each poem is an adjective that Hall has taken the liberty of changing somewhat. Each adjective ends in ‘fall’ instead of ‘ful’ … beautifall instead of beautiful, frightfall instead of frightful, etc. Hall’s approach is clever and his illustrations are bold and graphic. Endnotes include information on how various animals mentioned throughout the book get ready for winter.
New Books for Older Readers
Creepy Libraries by Troy Taylor
This book takes a look at eleven of the spookiest libraries in the United States and the spirits that haunt them. The photographs as well as the stories themselves are sure to entertain those who love spooky tales.
The Fearsome Foursome by John Esposito, illus. by Kelley Jones
This is volume one in Disney’s Tales from the Haunted Mansion series, based on the theme park ride, the Haunted Mansion. The story is told by the fictitious character, Amicus Arcane, the mansion librarian. Four scary story-loving middle-schoolers form a storytelling club. They get invited to a Gothic mansion on the other side of town which appears to be inhabited by just the librarian, who has a creepy story for each of them. For those loving scary stories, this is an excellent choice.
Laugh-Out-Loud Spooky Jokes for Kids by Rob Elliott
This is a great collection of ghoulish and fun jokes, sure to have kids “laughing-out-loud”!
This is Not a Werewolf Story by Sandra Evans
Raoul, the narrator, attends boarding school on an island off the coast of Seattle. He has a secret though. When the other kids go home for the weekend, he goes to the forest where he morphs into a wolf. Fans of mystery and fantasy are sure to enjoy this novel.
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