Tag: Fall Theme

Animals, Fall

Fox Stories

Jennifer
Fox Stories

I’ve gathered 20 great books featuring foxes! Preschoolers will love hearing these fantastic fox stories. These stories are perfect to read all year round. While foxes are often paired with fall decorations, I’ve also included stories about foxes in winter, as well as plenty of books that can be read anytime of year.

20 Fox Stories:

Fletcher and the Falling Leaves

1. Fletcher and the Falling Leaves by Julia Rawlinson —

In this beautifully illustrated book, we meet a young fox named Fletcher who is unaware that some trees lose their leaves in the fall. Fletcher is determined to save the leaves from falling off of his favorite tree. Unfortunately each one of his ideas fail to keep the leaves on the tree. After the last leaf falls off the tree, Fletcher carries the little leaf home to his den. He puts it into a nice cozy bed for the night. When he returns to his tree in the early morning, a beautiful sight is waiting for him. His tree is covered in sparkling icicles! His tree reassures him that all is fine and that Fletcher is free to enjoy the beauty in front of him without worry for his tree. Love Fletcher? Then check out his winter and his spring stories too!

Fox in Socks by Dr. Seuss

2. Fox in Socks by Dr. Seuss–

Warning, this silly, rhyming book will result in tongue-twisting giggles! The funny rhymes and bright pictures will keep preschoolers engaged throughout the story. This book is on the long side, but the silliness should keep preschoolers entertained as you rhyme your way through this one.

Fox the Tiger

3. Fox the Tiger by Corey R. Tabor–

We love this series! Fox is hilarious and very imaginative. In this story, Fox wants to be a tiger, so he adds some stripes to his fur and sets out to show his friends, Rabbit and Turtle. Rabbit and Turtle want to pretend to be something else too. Everyone puts their imaginations to work and has lots of fun playing pretend. In the end, however, they are happiest being themselves. Be sure to check out Fox’s other stories, especially Fox Versus Winter!

Six Silly Foxes

4. Six Silly Foxes by Alex Moran —

This is a great book for exploring emotions. Look at each scene and think about their expressions and what they are doing to figure out each emotion. Also, each fox wears a different color, so preschoolers can practice their color identification. The story is short and packed with rhyming silliness to keep your child entertained.

Lawrence in the Fall

5. Lawrence in the Fall by Matthew Farina–

In this sweet story, Lawrence and his dad head out into the woods to collect leaves for Lawrence’s show-and-tell project at school. Dad shares the names of the trees with Lawrence as the young fox collects leaves of various shapes, sizes, and colors. The beauty of nature is expertly captured in this story, as father and son take in the quiet wonder of the trees around them.

I'll Always be Your Friend

6. I’ll Always Be Your Friend by Sam McBratney–

I love this this book about a mother fox who reassures who her little one that she will always be his friend. Like human children, little fox finds it hard to stop playing when his mother tells him to. He gets mad and says, “I’m not your friend anymore!” Who hasn’t heard this from their frustrated child before! Little fox has to test boundaries (and patience) before realizing that he wants to be “friends” with mommy again.

Fox Makes Friends

7. Fox Makes Friends by Adam Relf–

Lonely little fox decides to make a friend, but not in the way you might expect! The fox builds one out of sticks, rocks, and fruit. Unfortunately the new friend falls short of fox’s expectations as it does not move or talk. But soon, curious animals come to check out fox’s creation and help him make friends in the process.

One Fox: a counting book thriller

8. One Fox: a counting book thriller by Kate Read–

This book had my son’s full attention! A sneaky fox is making its way to the hen house. The story starts with 1 sly fox, then shows 2 eyes, followed by 3 plump hens. My son was practically on the edge of his seat as the fox enters the hen house. The story makes it up to 10 before the fox is chased away. Phew, the hens are safe! The book ends with a disclaimer that no foxes or hens were harmed in the making of this book 🙂 This story is masterfully told with sparse, but strategic words and great pictures.

Winter Dance

9. Winter Dance by Marion Dane Bauer —

This is one of my favorite fox stories. It is a sweet story that teaches kids about how animals spend the winter. As the first snowflake falls on the fox’s nose, fox wonders what he is supposed to do in winter. The other forest animals tell him how they prepare for winter. Some fly south, others store food, and some hibernate. Unfortunately none of these ideas will work for fox. Finally, another fox comes along and shares what foxes do in winter — they dance in the falling snow! With such beautiful illustrations, kids will love looking over the pictures and seeing the two foxes twirling about in the snow.


I Love You Because You're You

10. I Love You Because You’re You by Liza Baker–

My son loves books about parent-child relationships! In this heartwarming story, mother fox tells her young fox everything that she loves about him. Short, rhyming text with bright pictures will keep preschoolers interested. Mother fox continuously reassures her little fox that no matter the behavior or emotions her young one exhibits, mommy loves him!

Denny and Penny: a fun rhyming picture book

11. Denny and Penny: a fun rhyming picture book by Silas Wood–

Denny and Penny, two foxes, have complete opposite tastes in food. One day, Denny runs out of his favorite sweet treats and asks Penny if she has any. But Penny likes to eat fish and vegetables, not sweets. Will Denny be brave and try something new? At the time of writing this, the eBook version is free on Amazon.

Little Fox in the Forest

12. Little Fox in the Forest by Stephanie Graegin —

This wordless picture book provides a great opportunity for children to interpret the story. In this book we see a little girl take her stuffed animals fox to school with her. On her way, a real fox takes off with her toy! She and a friend from school chase after the fox, but lose sight of it in the forest. The children stumble upon an archway that leads them into a fantastical village filled with miniature houses for the forest animals. You’ll never guess where they discover fox and the stuffed animal!

You Make Me Happy book

13. You Make Me Happy By Smriti Prasadam-Halls–

Get ready for cuteness overload! In this sweet story friends, Porcupine and Fox, explore the world around them, enjoying each other’s company. Everything from playing to enjoying a picnic is better when the person (or animal) who makes you happy is by your side. Sing-songy rhymes are accompanied by adorable pictures. This story is sure to make you say “awww, how sweet!”

Baby Fox: finger puppet book

14. Baby Fox: Finger Puppet Book by Chronicle Books —

My preschooler loves these finger puppet board books. Not only is the fox puppet cute, but it helps bring the book to life. The text is short, but contains great facts about foxes such as they live in a burrow and come out at night to play.

Jasper and Ollie Build a Fort

15. Jasper and Ollie Build a Fort ​by Alex Willan —

Best friends, Jasper and Ollie, set out to see who can build the best fort. Jasper, the fox, builds really quickly and soon his fort is complete. Children will laugh at Jasper zooming around and all of the pizzazz that goes into his fort. Meanwhile, Ollie, the sloth, slowly constructs his fort. It is missing all of the flashiness of Jasper’s fort, but offers a cozy spot where the friends can hangout together. The story is sweet tale of friendship as this odd-couple come together to enjoy each other’s company.

Little Fox and the Missing Moon

16. Little Fox and the Missing Moon by Ekaterina Trukhan–

My son has become interested in detective stories and mysteries, so this was perfect for him. In this book, Fox looks out his window at bedtime and discovers the moon is missing! He jumps out of bed to investigate this strange disappearance. Turns out his friends are looking for the moon too; everyone except rabbit. They head over to rabbit’s house to find that rabbit has the moon. Read this one to find out why rabbit took the moon!

A Fox Found a Box

17. A Fox Found a Box by Ged Adamson–

Fox discovers a radio abandoned in the forest. After some trial and error, fox and his friends get the radio to work and the forest is filled with music. The author takes the reader through a moving journey about how the power of music effects our feelings. What happens when the batteries run out and the forest is quiet again? Fox and friends begin to appreciate the sounds of nature and realize that there has always been music all around them.

Little Fox and the Wild Imagination

18. Little Fox and the Wild Imagination  by Jorma Taccone —

When I learned that Dan Santat illustrated this story, I had to check it out. I love Dan Santat’s artistic style and the humor he captures so well in his illustrations. I was so happy to find that this story is about a father and son who use their imaginations to have an epic adventure filled with a car race, a robot squid, and lots of books! This story is funny and full of heart 🙂

The Fox Wish

19. The Fox Wish​ by Kimiko Aman–

Siblings realized mid-snack that they forgot their jump rope at the park. They rush back to get it, but find that foxes have discovered it and are having a great time playing with it. One of the foxes explains how she made a wish for a new game to play and then the foxes stumbled upon the jump rope! Not wanting to spoil the fox’s delight in a wish come true, the little girl lets the foxes keep the jump rope after getting a promise that everyone will play together again soon. Beautiful pictures and a thoughtful tale of sharing and kindness will make this book a great choice for bedtime stories.

Fox and the Box

20. Fox and the Box  by Yvonne Ivinson–

The artwork on the cover of Fox and the Box had me intrigued! The story is told mainly through the pictures, with just a couple key words per page. A fox at the beach, watching all of the ships in the water, wants to turn his crate into a ship and join in the fun. Fox’s determination and wild sea adventure will delight young readers. Everyone will love the happy ending!

Please check your public library for these fox stories. If you choose to purchase them, please note that I joined Amazon’s Affiliate program to try and help cover the costs of my website. So if you buy something through one of my links, then I get a small percentage of the sale at no additional cost to you. Thank you for your support! Happy reading 🙂

Paper Plate Fox Craft!

Fox Paper Plate Craft: turn a paper plate into a fox with some orange tissue paper, googly eyes, and a black pompom for a nose.

paper plate fox craft


Animals, Fall

Hedgehog Picture Books-

Jennifer
Hedgehog Picture Books
Hedgehog Picture Books

Hedgehogs are one my favorite animals, so I was excited to read hedgehog picture books with my son 🙂 Here is a list of 6 of our favorites. Some are older titles and others are more current, but we were able to find them all at our public library. Check your library for these and other great hedgehog picture books.

Picture Books–

Hedgie's Surprise
Hedgie’s Surprise

1. Hedgie’s Surprise by Jan Brett–

Jan Brett is a fantastic storyteller and illustrator! This is a funny hedgehog book featuring Hedgie, a reoccurring character in several of Jan Brett’s books. In this story, Hedgie’s friend Henny keeps getting her eggs stolen by a child. The child returns every morning to steal an egg and Henny needs help protecting her eggs. Hedgie replaces the eggs with other things to eat, such as a strawberry, a mushroom, and even a potato. Still the child keeps coming back! Finally Hedgie comes up with a great way to stop the egg thief — Hedgie hides in the chicken’s nest and gives the child a handful of prickles!

"Hedgehugs" by Steve Wilson--an adorable hedgehog picture book
Hedgehugs

2. Hedgehugs by Steve Wilson–

Are you ready to meet Horace and Hattie, two of the cutest hedgehogs ever!?! These two hedgehogs are best friends and love to do things together. In fact, they pretty much do everything together except hug. How are two spiky hedgehogs supposed to be able to hug each other? The two friends try all sorts of different ways (cue preschooler giggles), but nothing is working. Then, they stumble upon some laundry drying in the sun and get the best idea! Brace yourself for a super cute hug 🙂 Horace and Hattie have more adorable adventures, so be sure to check your library for the others in this series.

3. Ouch by Ragnhild Scamell (republished as Apple Trouble) —

In this story, an adorable hedgehog gets an apple stuck its back. Now hedgehog can’t fit into its den and winter is coming. The hedgehog’s animal friends try to help and get the apple off, but each attempt ends up with more things stuck to the poor hedgehog. After squeezing, and swimming, and rolling around, hedgehog and friends are running out of ideas. Fortunately, along comes a goat with a big appetite and eats all of the things that are stuck on hedgehog!

Hedgehog and Rabbit: the scary wind

4. Hedgehog and Rabbit: the scary wind by Pablo Albo —

This book is perfect for fall! Friends, Hedgehog and Rabbit are enjoying the day when the wind comes through, sending leaves twirling in the air. Rabbit thinks he sees a monster! He yells and runs for safety in a hollow log. Hedgehog didn’t see anything scary, but hearing Rabbit yell, Hedgehog runs to the log too. Mistaken identities and silliness ensues as Rabbit and Hedgehog each try to scare away the monster! Despite being afraid, both Rabbit and Hedgehog muster up enough courage to help each other in acts of true friendship.

The Snowy Nap

5. The Snowy Nap by Jan Brett–

It’s time for hedgehog to hibernate, but hedgehog wants to stay awake and experience the beauty that winter brings. All of the other animals tell hedgehog about icicles and glistening snow and fun winter activities that happen while hedgehog is asleep. Determined not to miss out this year, hedgehog tries his best to stay awake with the help of a nice girl. Fortunately a snow storm comes and turns everything into a winter wonderland just before hedgehog falls asleep.

Prickly Hedgehogs

6. Prickly Hedgehogs! by Jane McGuiness–

I love that this story is filled with factual information about hedgehogs! We learned that hedgehogs are nocturnal, like to eat bugs, and what they do to prepare for winter. The story itself, isn’t very long, but it is a fun read-aloud. Filled with cute pictures and lovely background colors, you and your child will definitely enjoy this book together.

hedgehog illustration

Please check your public library for these books. If you choose to purchase them, please note that I joined Amazon’s Affiliate program to try and help cover the costs of my website. So if you buy something through one of my links, then I get a small percentage of the sale at no additional cost to you. Thank you for your support! Happy reading 🙂

For more fall animal stories, check out my SQUIRREL BOOKS post.

Paper Plate Hedgehog Craft —

hedgehog paper plate craft
paper plate hedgehog craft

Make this cute hedgehog and let your little one and practice scissor skills!

Supplies needed are:

–1 paper plate

–water color paints

–scissors

–googly eyes

To Make:

-Cut a plate in half. Trim one of the halves to look like it has a hedgehog profile. 

-Paint your hedgehog with water colors and let your project dry.

-Kids can practice scissors skills by cutting along the outer edge of the plate to make spikes. After cutting, gently push and pull spikes to separate them.

-Add googly eyes, and then you have a cute little hedgehog.

Fall, Halloween, Math, STEM

Halloween Graphing Preschool STEM

Jennifer
Halloween Graphing Preschool STEM

Add some spooky STEM fun into your preschooler’s learning with this Halloween graphing activity!

Halloween Graphing Activity:

Start by printing this free template. The Halloween graphing template includes the di, colored tiles, and graphing chart. I used regular printer paper; however, if you use cardstock, then your dice will be much sturdier.

Halloween Graphing Di

Begin by cutting out the dice. Gently fold the gray tabs inward. Then begin to fold your squares into a cube shape. Add some glue to the tabs and glue them onto the underside of the squares as you form your cube. The very last tab is hard to glue and might require tape. Once your cube is formed, set it aside to dry.

Cut out all of the colored tiles. You will have 4 of each color–red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple. Each color corresponds with one of the Halloween pictures. Here’s the color scheme: witch=red, pumpkin=orange, moon=yellow, Frankenstein monster=green, bat=blue, and spiderweb=purple.

Now it is time to begin Halloween graphing. Ask you child to gently roll the di. Which Halloween picture is on top? Is it a purple web? Take a tile of the same color and set it on the graph above the corresponding-colored Halloween picture. Keep rolling the dice and setting tiles in the correct columns until you reach the top of the column. Since you are not gluing the colored tiles to the chart, you can use this activity over and over again. The witch was the first to reach the top for us. Which Halloween picture made it to the top of your graph first?

Why STEM?

STEM stands for science, technology, engineering, and math. It is important to introduce these concepts to preschoolers in a fun way so that as they get older, they are excited about STEM subjects. What are preschoolers learning in this activity? Preschoolers are learning their colors (science)! They have to identify the color on the di, find the same color on the chart, and then correctly add the same color tile to the graph. Preschoolers are learning how to graph, an important math concept! Add some extra math into this activity by counting how many of each color tile is on your graph and how many tiles your have altogether. Preschoolers are also learning about engineering as they help build the di!

More STEM Activities

If your child enjoyed this graphing activity, I made a free blank di template so you can customize it with your own pictures. You can add computer images, stickers, or draw whatever you want on the dice and graph for your child to practice more graphing skills.

Check out my STEM activities: https://imaginationsrunningwild.com/stem/

Halloween-Graphing-Preschool-STEMDownload
Animals, Fall

Pompom Owl Craft

Jennifer
Pompom Owl Craft

I’m obsessed with owls and crafts, so why not combine them into a cute pompom owl craft! This craft is fun and easy for little kids to make — all they have to do is color and glue. Print off the free owl template and then let your child’s creativity design a cute owl craft.

Supplies Needed:

  • white cardstock (regular printer paper is ok)
  • owl template — free printable PDF
  • pompoms (sizes 1 – 2 cm)
  • white school glue
  • crayons
  • googly eyes (size 25 mm / 2.5 cm)

How To:

First print the free owl template. Color your owl completely as the background will show between the pompoms.

You can draw your own eyes or use googly eyes. Preschoolers tend to love googly eyes (my son does) and look for any excuse to use them! We found these orange-colored googly eyes at Michaels craft store.

Glue your pompoms all over the owl’s body. Mix and match colors and sizes, make patterns, and have fun using your creativity! Depending on how much glue you use, your pompom owl craft might take a while to dry.

More Owls!

I Spy Owls: count how many of each picture you see in this I Spy scene. Write the number in the box next to each picture.

Owl Find the Differences: find 5 differences between these 2 pictures.

“Owl You Need is Love” Craft: print off your free template and create your own owl. Complete you owl by gluing on cupcake wrappers for wings!

Fall, Rhymes and Poems

“Five Little Leaves” Finger Rhyme

Jennifer

Finger rhymes are lots of fun for little kids! They get to be active participants as they move their fingers to act out the rhyme. According to Reading Rockets, rhymes are important for young children because they help develop an ear for our language. Both rhyme and rhythm help kids hear the sounds and syllables in words, which helps kids learn to read! Check out my RHYMES page for more fun action and finger rhymes, as well as other cute poems. I love the Five Little Pumpkins finger rhyme and wanted more finger rhymes to do in the fall so I made up one about leaves. I think it turned out pretty fun 🙂 Get your fingers ready to act out Five Little Leaves with me!

Five Little Leaves Finger Rhyme

FIVE LITTLE LEAVES

Five little leaves falling from a tree. (hold up 5 fingers)

The first one says, “You can’t catch me!” (wiggle thumb)

The second one says, “There’s a chill in the air!” (wiggle pointer finger)

The third one says, “But we don’t care!” (wiggle middle finger)

The fourth one says “Hello” to the ground. (wiggle ring finger)

The fifth one says, “We make a crunching sound!” (wiggle pinky)

Whoosh goes the wind, blowing all around. (wave hand around)

And the five little leaves land safe and sound. (hand open flat, palm facing up)

(c) Imaginations Running Wild

Fall, Halloween

Witch Stories

Jennifer
Witch Stories
Preschool Witch Stories

It’s spooky season and young children want to get in on the fun! Here are eight fantastic witch-themed stories that are not scary, but add a fun, spooky element to reading time. Grab your broom and be prepared to read these over and over again! Be sure to check your public library for these books. My son and I also made lists of our favorite MONSTER stories, SKELETON books, and BAT stories to share too!

Eight Witch Stories:

Room on the Broom

1. Room on the Broom by Julia Donaldson–

This is one of my favorite books! My son and I love this rhyming story about a kind witch who keeps losing things as she flies through the night. She repeatedly has to stop and look for her missing things. While searching for her belongings, she also finds new friends. Soon her broom is full as the witch, a cat, a dog, a frog, and a bird soar through the night. Suddenly a hungry dragon appears and captures the witch! It looks like this might be the end for the witch, but her friends come to her rescue and chase the dragon away 🙂

Ghosts in the House

2. Ghosts in the House by Kazuno Kohara —

A girl and her cat move into a haunted house! Turns out this little girl is actually a witch and she knows exactly what to do with ghosts! This is a fairly short book, with not a lot of text per page. The illustrations are done in orange and black and really capture the reader’s attention. Your preschooler will enjoy studying the pictures and seeing the witch’s creative uses for ghosts.

There's a Witch in Your Book

3. There’s a Witch in Your Book by Tom Fletcher–

Tom Fletcher’s “Who’s in Your Book” series is so much fun! Each book is interactive and filled with super cute illustrations. My son really enjoys these stories and we read them over and over again! In this book, the little witch has landed in your book and she is making a huge mess. Stop her! Oh no, now she cast a magic spell! Help defeat the spell by using your finger as a wand. Follow the steps to save your book!

Lulu Goes to Witch School

4. Lulu Goes to Witch School by Jane O’Connor–

Author Jane O’Connor of the Fancy Nancy series introduces you Lulu the witch. Lulu is so excited to start school! Her first day goes great — she loves her teacher (Miss Slime) and her broom flying lesson. She likes all of other witches in her class, except for one. Sandy Witch does everything better than Lulu and Lulu is feeling frustrated. A rivalry ensues until both little witches come down with lizardpox. Lulu and Sandy both return to school covered with spots, afraid their classmates will make fun of them. Sandy and Lulu bond over their spots and become friends afterall.

Humbug Witch

5. Humbug Witch by Lorna Balion–

This is a cute story about an imaginative little girl. While it is an older story, my son still likes it! In the book, this little witch has a problem — she just can’t get her spells to turn out right! She looks the part–she has a black witch hat, and a witch nose, and pointy witch shoes, and a cat–but no magic. Turns out the reason little witch can’t do magic is because she’s really a girl playing dress-up.

10 Busy Brooms

6. 10 Busy Brooms by Carole Gerber–

I love counting books! They are a fun way to incorporate math into preschoolers’ learning. Preschoolers will love the pictures of the witches flying past other “spooky” creatures like skeletons and mummies. The illustrations are bright and cheerful without being scary. Examine each picture closely and try and find the owl and cat hidden in every scene!

Mrs Blackhat

7. Mrs. Blackhat by Mick Inkpen–

Mrs. Blackhat is a witch who loves the color black so much that everything she has is black. Along comes an orange cat. What is Mrs. Blackhat supposed to do with a cat that isn’t black? She tries to cast a spell (with hilarious words like “toilet trouble”), but nothing works. Find out what happens to the cat by checking out this fun, rhyming story from your library!

How to Catch a Witch

8. How to Catch a Witch by Alice Walstead–

The “How to Catch” series is wildly popular with young children with their rhyming stories and bright illustrations. In this book, a real witch comes to the neighborhood on Halloween night to steal all of the candy. Oh no! The Catch Club kids set all sorts of zany traps to try and catch her before all of the candy is gone. Each trap-gone-wrong will get your child giggling as the witch escapes. I love that the kids use household items like cardboard boxes, so anyone reading this book can get ideas to make their own traps and continue the fun at home!

Disclaimer:

Check your library for these and other witch-themed stories. To help cover the costs of this site, I joined Amazon’s Affiliate program. If you buy a book through one of my links, then I get a small percentage of the sale (at no additional cost to you). Thank you for your support! Happy Reading 🙂

Fall

Fall Leaves Stories

Jennifer
Fall Leaves Stories for preschoolers
Fall Leaves Stories

Fall is a magical time when the leaves on trees change colors and eventually fall off the branches. Looking at the beautiful colors and collecting leaves are lots of fun! Preschoolers love to explore and naturally curious about the world around. Read these stories about the changing of the leaves and learn why trees lose their leaves in the fall.

7 Fall Leaves Stories:

1. Leaf Man by Lois Ehlert–

This book is a visual treat! The pictures are actual leaves and Lois Ehlert’s signature die-cut pages are fantastic. Leaf Man is beautiful tribute to nature and preschoolers will delight in Leaf Man’s wind-blown adventures.

Leaf Trouble book

2. Leaf Trouble by Jonathan Emmett–

Learn about the changing of seasons with two cute little squirrels in this story. Worried about the falling leaves, a brother and sister squirrel unsuccessfully try to put the leaves back on the tree. Mommy squirrel teaches them all about fall and reassures them that new leaves will grow in the springtime.

"When the Leaf Blew In" book

3. When the Leaf Blew In by Steve Metzger–

This fun picture book is about an autumn leaf blows that into a barn causing a cow to sneeze. The sneeze sets off a series of barnyard events in this silly tale that will have preschoolers asking you to reread it over and over again! Be sure to check your library for this one!

4. We’re Going on a Leaf Hunt by Steve Metzger —

This rhyming story is a fun, leaf-hunting adventure. Preschoolers love Steve Metzger’s books and the silly sound effects that he skillfully incorporates into the story. This one will become a fall-favorite! Have your own leaf hunt after the story to continue the fun!

There was an Old Lady Who Swallowed Some Leaves

5. There was an Old Lady Who Swallowed Some Leaves by Lucille Colandro–

The silly old lady is back in this fall-themed story. She goes on a stomach-filling journey, gobbling up fall-themed items (a pumpkin, a rope, and some leaves). Preschoolers will laugh away at all of the silliness going on in this book!

Fletcher and the Falling Leaves

6. Fletcher and the Falling Leaves by Julia Rawlinson–

In this beautifully illustrated book, we meet a young fox named Fletcher who is unaware that some trees lose their leaves in the fall. Fletcher is determined to save the leaves from falling off of his favorite tree. Unfortunately each one of his ideas fail to keep the leaves on the tree. After the last leaf falls off the tree, Fletcher carries the little leaf home to his den. He puts it into a nice cozy bed for the night. When he returns to his tree in the early morning, a beautiful sight is waiting for him. His tree is covered in sparkling icicles! His tree reassures him that all is fine and that Fletcher is free to enjoy the beauty in front of him without worry for his tree.

"The Leaf Thief"

7. The Leaf Thief by Alice Hemming–

Every day Squirrel counts the leaves on his tree. One day, a leaf goes missing and Squirrel sets off to find the missing leaf. Along the way, Bird joins in and the two friends discover who the mysterious leaf thief is! This is a beautifully illustrated story about the natural changes that occur in the fall season.

Disclaimer:

Check your library for these and other fall leaves stories. To help cover the costs of this site, I joined Amazon’s Affiliate program. If you buy a book through one of my links, then I get a small percentage of the sale (at no additional cost to you). Thank you for your support! Happy Reading 🙂

LEAF STICK PUPPET

Continue the leaf fun by making Leaf Stick Puppets–Go on a leaf hunt and collect leaves to make your stick puppet pals.

Fall

Squirrel Stories

Jennifer
Preschool squirrel stories

Squirrels are so busy in the fall, running around and gathering food for winter. They are fun to watch, and read about. My son and I picked out 10 of our favorite squirrel stories to share with you. We found all of them at our library, so please check your library for these great books!

10 Great Squirrel Books–

Bedtime in the Forest

1. Bedtime in the Forest by Kazuo Iwamura —

At some point every kid has wanted to stay up past their bedtime–doesn’t matter if they are boys or girls or squirrels! In this beautifully illustrated story, the three little squirrels want to stay up late and play with the owls. However, the squirrels all fall asleep during their late night playtime and their dad brings them back to bed. How are the young squirrels and the owlets going to be friends if they are awake at different times? They come up with a brilliant plan to exchange letters! If you enjoyed this one, check out the other squirrel stories in this series.

The Busy Little Squirrel

2. The Busy Little Squirrel by Nancy Tafuri —

Squirrel is busy preparing for winter and has no time to play. The other animals keep asking squirrel to take a break with them, but squirrel is too busy gathering food. This book is a great look at what squirrels eat and how they “squirrel away” food for winter. My son loves pouring over the illustrations and finding other busy squirrels in the background.

Cyril and Pat

3. Cyril and Pat by Emily Gravett —

This is a funny book about two friends, a squirrel named Cyril and a rat named Pat. They both live in the park and have lots of fun together. However, other animals tell they that they are too different to be friends. Can that be true? Cyril lists all of the ways that Pat is a great friend even though he is a rat. When a mean dog is after Cyril, Pat and his rat friends come to the rescue, proving that friends come in all different shapes, sizes, and species! The only issue I have with this book is that it uses the word “stupid” and that’s not something that I want to teach my son. But since he can’t read yet, I just skipped over that word when I was reading the story out loud to him. In my opinion, the message of friendship outweighs that one negative word.

Good Night, Bat! Good Morning, Squirrel!

4.Good Night, Bat! Good Morning, Squirrel! by Paul Meisel–

Bat thinks he has found the perfect home! However, it turns out that this is squirrel’s home. Since they sleep at opposite times, they don’t have a chance to communicate in person. Squirrel doesn’t want to share her home so she leaves Bat notes trying to get him to leave. Bat misinterprets the notes and thinks they are friends now. Kids will giggle at the misunderstandings and love the happy ending.

Leaf Trouble

5. Leaf Trouble by Emmett Johnson —

Learn about the changing of seasons with two cute little squirrels in this story. Worried about the falling leaves, a brother and sister squirrel unsuccessfully try to put the leaves back on the tree. Mommy squirrel teaches them all about fall and reassures them that new leaves will grow in the springtime.  

Nuts to You

6. Nuts to You by Lois Ehlert —  

Lois Ehlert is one of my favorite authors and illustrators 🙂 In this book, a curious squirrel wanders though an open window into an apartment! Oh my goodness, how are they going to get it out? Preschoolers will enjoy this squirrel’s nutty indoor adventure and the beautiful collage-like pictures. Bonus — the end of the book has squirrel facts.                                                                     

7. The Squirrels Who Squabbled by Rachel Bright —

Rachel Bright is a fantastic author! My son and I love her books, and I have read several of her stories to the library’s preschool storytime group, who agree that she rocks! In this book, squirrels Cyril and Bruce get in a fight over the last acorn. In a story similar to the Ant and the Grasshopper, one unprepared-for-winter squirrel is ready to do battle for the last acorn. The squirrels’ squabbles lead them on a hilarious adventure!

"Scaredy Squirrel goes Camping" by Melanie Watts; one of the Scaredy Squirrel stories
Scaredy Squirrel Goes Camping

8. Scaredy Squirrel Goes Camping by Melanie Watt–                            

Scaredy Squirrel has many stories, so if this one is not available at your library, try one of the others! In this camping adventure, Scaredy Squirrel likes the idea of camping and all of the fun things that go along with it, but he is scared to leave his tree home. Preschoolers will see themselves mirrored in Scaredy Squirrel as he voices his fears. While he is trying to avoid anything scary, he unwittingly faces his fears (in a silly way) and has a great time. This book provides a fantastic conversation starter about being afraid and how to overcome our fears so that we don’t miss out on the fun that is waiting for us!

Those Darn Squirrels

9. Those Darn Squirrels by Adam Rubin —

Old Man Fookwire loves birds and doesn’t want them to fly away in the winter. He comes up with a plan to entice them to stay with birdfeeders stocked with yummy food! The birds aren’t the only ones who like the food in the feeders; so do the squirrels. The squirrels and the man face off in a battle of wits over the yummy food. Kids will love the ingenious ways the squirrels come up with the get to the food!

The Golden Acorn

10. The Golden Acorn by Katy Hudson —

It’s time for the Golden Nut Hunt competition and squirrel is determined to win this year! However, the rules have changed and this year, it is a team event. Squirrel is super competitive and wants to do the hunt on her own. She reluctantly asks her friends to be on her team. Squirrel’s friends are trying, but they just aren’t performing as well as she hopes. Squirrel decides to go it alone because she thinks she can do the hunt better without them (who needs a team or friends, right?). As the hunt goes on, Squirrel comes to realize that she does need her friends and comes to understand the importance of team work.

Imaginations Running Wild

I hope you enjoy these squirrel stories! Check your library for these and other great books. To help cover the costs of this site, I joined Amazon’s Affiliate program. If you buy a book through one of my links, then I get a small percentage of the sale (at no additional cost to you). Thank you for your support! Happy Reading 🙂

Check out my FALL BOOK recommendations for more stories to read together!

More Squirrel Fun:                        

-Handprint Acorn: supplies needed are brown and tan paint, paintbrush, and paper. Let you child paint one of their hands tan and then stamp in on a piece of paper. Use the brown paint to paint on the top of the acorn. (www.craftymorning.com)

-Do like a Squirrel Does: Can you chitter like a squirrel? Jump like a squirrel? Puff up your cheeks? Find a yummy treat to eat? Pick a favorite tree outside? Scamper quickly? Wiggle your nose? What else does a squirrel do?

Fall

Thanksgiving Books: gratitude stories

Jennifer
Thanksgiving books: gratitude stories

Our November tradition is say something that we are thankful for every morning while we are eating breakfast. I like starting off our day on such a positive note. Plus, I absolutely love my son’s answers! The month of November, and Thanksgiving especially, provide a reminder to be grateful for all we have. To encourage thankfulness and gratitude, I picked Thanksgiving books with these themes in them to read with my son. Here are the ones we have enjoyed:

6 Thanksgiving Books

Bear Says Thanks by Karma Wilson–

Karma Wilson is one of my favorite authors and my son and I especially lover her Bear series! In this Bear book, Bear and friends come together for a wonderful fall feast. Each one contributes something to the meal, except for Bear, whose cupboard is empty. Bear is thankful for his friends and their generosity, but worries that he has nothing to contribute. That’s not true, his friends say. Then Bear shares the one thing he can, his fantastic stories! I love this lesson that everyone has something to share even if it is not a material thing.

The Berenstain Bears and the Prize Pumpkin by Stan and Jan Berenstain–

I loved the Berenstain Bears when I was a kid and I’m excited the their books are still available so I can share them with my son! In this Thanksgiving-themed story, the Berenstain Bears are entering the pumpkin contest. Of course the cubs and Papa really want to win first prize! Mama Bear gently tries to teach Papa and the cubs about the true meaning of Thanksgiving, but the bears are too consumed with the idea of winning to listen. When the family doesn’t win first prize, the Bears begin to understand the true meaning of Thanksgiving and being thankful for what they do have.

One is a Feast for Mouse by Judy Cox–

One is a Feast for Mouse is one of my favorite books to read at preschool storytime. This story is a beautiful example of not becoming greedy and taking more than you need. Mouse is a little animal and really doesn’t need too much food. However, when he sees all of the food set out for the family’s Thanksgiving meal, he gets greedy. He’s so busy trying to gather as much food as he can, that he doesn’t notice the cat! After escaping from the cat, Mouse learns to be thankful for what he has.

"Thanks for Thanksgiving" book by Julie Markes

Thanks for Thanksgiving by Julie Markes–

This sweet book reminds us to appreciate the little joys in life, like going to the park and our pets. Most of all, the children in this story are thankful for their family! Told in rhyming text with lovely illustrations, preschoolers will enjoy the simplicity of this story without being bored. At the end, the author includes a page for the reader to list some things that they are thankful for 🙂

Happy Thanksgiving, Biscuit by Alyssa Satin Capucilli–

The little girl and her dog, Biscuit, are busy getting ready for Thanksgiving. They bring yummy goodies to share with the neighbors, they bake a pumpkin pie for grandpa, and they decorate the house for the whole family to enjoy. I love that they are thinking of others! At the end of the book, the little girl says the things she is thankful for, and of course, one of the things she is most thankful for is Biscuit.

The Thankful Book by Todd Parr–

This is not a Thanksgiving book, but it is a THANKFUL book and honestly, Todd Parr’s books are awesome! I am huge fan of his artwork. You might recognize his artwork from Sesame Street. This book celebrates the things that we can all be thankful for, such as music for dancing, learning new things, and our shadows for making us look taller. With a mix of serious and silly, this book will have kids thinking of all the things they are thankful for too!

I hope you and your kiddo enjoy these Thanksgiving books as much as my son and I did! To help cover the costs of this site, I’ve joined Amazon’s Affiliate program. If you buy a book through one of my links, then I get a small percentage of the sale. thank you for your support! Happy Reading 🙂

Turkey Time

Turkey Paper Bag Puppet

Looking for turkey stories? Check out my post for 9 turkey books to read with your kiddo: Turkey Books

Turkey Craft: Make a Turkey Paper Bag Puppet out of a brown, paper lunch bag and construction paper.

Family Turkey Activity: Disguise the turkey so that it can avoid becoming dinner. Use your imagination to cleverly disguise this turkey! See the example and download the PDF here: Disguise the Turkey Post.

Fall

Disguise the Turkey!

Jennifer

My son came home from kindergarten with a really fun activity–disguise the turkey! It is a picture of a turkey printed with instructions to disguise the turkey so that it doesn’t get eaten for Thanksgiving. What a fun activity! It gave my son a chance to really be creative and have fun.

disguise the turkey activity
Disguise the Turkey!

The disguise possibilities are endless! One child added large ears and an elephant trunk; another kid covered the turkey in popcorn and pasted a popcorn bag to the bottom of the paper. My son decided to hide his turkey in a leaf pile! We went on a leaf hunt outside and found a bunch of neat leaves in different shapes and colors. First my son colored his turkey with crayons. He chose a rainbow themed for his feathers 🙂 Then he glued leaves all over his turkey so all that was left exposed was the turkey’s face, peeking out through the leaf pile. It turned out so cool!

I found a picture of a turkey and made a PDF that you can download (Free) for your child to disguise the turkey too! My son’s turkey was printed on cardstock. That made it more stable for gluing things onto it. If you don’t have cardstock, you can always print your turkey on regular printer paper and cut it out and glue into construction paper, or even a piece of cardboard.

I hope you and your child have as much fun with this activity as we did! It is a great family project. We really had to put our heads together to think of a good disguise and we enjoyed our leaf hunt!