Season’s Readings

The best seasonal books, as suggested by librarian Dan Coleman

Monarch Butterfly, by Gail Gibbons - Its markings are the very colors of fall, and the metamorphosis and migration of this delicate, yet sturdy creature, which children in Lawrence have experienced for years through the University of Kansas’s Monarch Watch program, is a wonder of the season. Veteran children’s nonfiction author Gibbons explains it in this, one of her best, now available at the library as a Wonderbook—a hardcover with a small audio device attached so children can play a digital recording of the text as they read along.

The Scarecrow, by Beth Ferry & the Fan Brothers -

I’m a fan of any book about crows, but this one features what must be the cutest in all of children’s literature. A lonely scarecrow saves an abandoned baby crow and raises it in the pocket of its overalls. Eventually it flies away, only to return with a mate to nest in the scarecrow next spring. Use the tissue you have handy for seasonal allergies to dry your eyes after reading this one.

Goodbye Summer, Hello Autumn, by Kenard Pak -

Author/illustrator Kenard Pak continues his series of lyrical odes to the seasons with a young girl and her dog who greet each change as summer turns into autumn.

We Gather Together: Celebrating the Harvest

Season, by Wendy Pfeffer & Linda Bleck - What is the autumnal equinox, and what does it mean to people around the world? If you’re like me, you need to see a diagram each time the seasons change to remind yourself why it happens. Pfeffer and Bleck explain the planetary motion that causes fall, and describe harvest celebrations across the northern hemisphere.

Leaf Man, by Lois Ehlert - Ehlert illustrates using the fallen leaves of various trees, dutifully labeled and arranged into the shapes of creatures she sees in pursuit of the elusive Leaf Man, blown away in the chilly autumn breeze.

Why Do Leaves Change Color? by Betsy

Maestro & Loretta Krupinski - If your kids haven’t already asked you, they will. Have an answer ready in the form of this beautiful book, part of the “Let’s Read and Find Out” series, which combines hard science with top notch illustration.

The Apple Orchard Riddle, by Margaret

McNamara & G. Brian Karas - A teacher and his class visit an apple orchard in this picture book take on the classic fall field trip. After apple season, try How Many Seeds in a Pumpkin?, which follows the same teacher and students to the pumpkin patch.

Little Boo, by Stephen Wunderli & Tim Zeltner -

One of the best pumpkin picture books published in recent years, Zeltner’s paintings, reminiscent of Thomas Hart Benton’s, evoke a fall landscape in which a seed grows into a pumpkin.

Gustavo the Shy Ghost, by Flavia Drago - Mexican author/illustrator Drago’s Gustavo is sure to enter the pantheon of lovable ghost characters, and he stars in one of the year’s best fall holiday titles. Unlike Caspar, Gustavo is so shy he worries no friends will join him in the cemetery to celebrate the Day of the Dead. A Spanish language version of this book is also available in the children’s World collection.

She Wanted to Be Haunted, by Marcus Ewert &

Susie Ghahremani - Ewert and Ghahremani turn the haunted house tale on its head in this story of a house in search of a ghost, perfect for Halloween, but relevant yearround as a story of self-acceptance.

1621: A New Look at Thanksgiving, by Catherine O’Neill Grace & Margaret Bruchac -

Delve into the real story of Thanksgiving with this look at the facts about that first feast and the events which led to it. National Geographic Society photographers’ images of reenactors accompany the text.