Autumn & Change of Season Picture Books

Disclosure: I was sent these books in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. 

With Thanksgiving this week, I feel like autumn is slowly slipping away. It is funny since I feel like it just began due to the warm weather we had for much of it. Of course it feels a bit like we went from summer to winter and skipped it all together. Plus the trees did not like the weather and never really turned as beautiful as they usually do. Today I am sharing three picture books with you. The first one is not actually an autumn book but with the shorter days I always think about lanterns and lights during this time of year. It is I Have a Little Lantern by Gan Dayong. 

This book is in both English and Chinese. It is a tale of a girl in China walking to school. Her journey begins at dawn and she meets some friends as she walks. They are all a bit scared of the dark, but the girl has her lantern and invites the various animals to walk with her and her lantern. 

It is a sweet book that helps kids face their fears and realize they are not alone. I know Hazel is a bit afraid of the dark still and I can see this book helping her. I love how it brings a bit of the Chinese culture into it. The animals are Chinese and the author shares that is written for the kids who do have to walk long distances to school and often leaving at dawn. It is hard to imagine, but this book does a great job of sharing it. The recommended ages are 4 to 8.

In our next book the Hedgehugs are back. This time it is Hedgehugs: Autumn Hide-and-Squeak by Steve Wilson and Lucy Tapper.  Horace and Hattie are out enjoying autumn. Hattie gets sad when the leaves are falling so quickly. Horace has an idea to try to get them back on the tree, but then they hear a squeak. The squeak comes from a new friend--a bat. The three of them play  hide and seek and have a great time together. When it is time for the bat to return home, Horace makes one more request and gives Hattie a last look at autumn. 

The illustrations are colorful and remind you of autumn. The animals are having so much fun and it reminds me of the joys of autumn and playing in the leaves. It is such a sweet story for young kids. The suggested ages are 2 to 6. 

Our final book is about the change of seasons from autumn to winter. It is Goodbye Autumn, Hello Winter by Kenard Pak. A young boy and girl walk and notice the changes happening in the autumn. They see the leaves, birds, winds, and animals. There is a look at flowers and the shorter days. Then it shows the start of winter. 

The words are simple and the illustrations remind me of the seasons. This book is perfect for children learning about the change of seasons. It is recommended for ages 3 to 6. I wish it was around when Hazel was younger. She would have loved it then. 

So I hope you will enjoy these books with your young children. I know they will like them.