Children's Picture Books to Read in October
Welcome to my blog series where I share my favourite children’s picture books for every month of the year.
I’m mum to a 4-year-old and we’ve been enjoying picture books since he was around 6 months old. (No, he probably had no idea what was going on at that stage, but they were long, slow days and picture books helped to break up the day as well as starting a good habit!)
If you follow me on Instagram you’ll know, as well as painting and drawing, I love a bit of seasonal living and following the months of the year.
In the last few years we’ve been creating a seasonally themed book display for every month of the year. As well as being a great seasonal visual, it’s great practise to rotate books (and toys) and to have a visual reminder to read something every day.
Reading in Rhythm with the Seasons
October is a month of transformation. Nature slows down, leaves turn golden and copper, mushrooms appear on damp forest floors, and evenings grow longer and darker. Children notice these changes in rhythm and colour, and stories can help them explore the magic of this time.
Reading seasonally encourages little ones to observe nature, understand cycles, and develop curiosity whilst developing their imagination through stories. Rotating books each month keeps storytime fresh, inspiring, and deeply connected to what’s happening outside.
October SHELFIE
Book display of the month with spooky themes such as magic, Halloween and darkness, as well as the true autumn elements like knitwear, falling leaves and preparing for hibernation.
October Themes to Explore With Young Children
October is full of contrast and magic. It’s a month of apples and pumpkin picking, the first hints of frost and darkness, and the cosy comfort of warm drinks, fires, and knitwear. Spooky fun and fairy tales mix with real-life seasonal observations. Children can notice and collect acorns on the ground, identify fallen leaves, spot bats, spiders, and cobwebs, and carve pumpkins, of course (which we still haven’t managed to do).
As we move towards the hibernation months, October is also a time for slowing down, enjoying cosy indoor activities, and marking Halloween and Samhain with stories that celebrate good triumphing over evil.
Here are my themes and keywords for October, the most autumnal month of the year:
pumpkin picking and carving
gathering apples and baking apple crumbles
falling leaves
spooky stories and decorating for Halloween
cottage core and goblin core aesthetics
the clocks falling back (UK)
shorter days
celebrations of light and fire
hot drinks
knitwear
bats, spiders and cobwebs
true autumn colour palette - warm, muted and mostly dark
magic and mystery
trick-or-treating and costumes
fairies and toadstools
the moon
the peak autumn month and celebrating Samhain
Best Children’s Picture Books to Read in October
Jolly Tall - Old Bear Stories
Jane Hissey
I usually recommend one of the Old Bear stories every month! I guess they’re nostalgic for me as I read them as a kid but they’re also a nice visual of the pre-screen and pre-internet era. A slower time when there seemed to be a lot more creativity and imagination.
In this story, the toys are curious as to what is inside a mysterious new parcel. Little Bear hopes for treasure while the others fear it might be something dangerous. They eventually discover it’s a new soft toy and Little Bear decides a new friend is much better than any treasure.
I guess I’ve dumped this one into October’s list because Bramwell Brown is knitting at the beginning. I’m very much a beginner at knitting but it’s definitely a seasonal thing for me that I’m not really in the mood for until late autumn!
age 2 to 6 years
picture book
descriptive and longer text
daytime or bedtime
part of the classic 1980/1990s Old Bear Stories
Freddy the Frog
Axel Scheffler
Our little one really enjoyed this in his earlier infant and toddler years. And whilst we’re now going through a frog phase (at 4 years old) he’s enjoying it again as a quick short read. As usual, Scheffler illustrates the book with brilliantly bold colours and quirky characters.
The text is rhyming but short and has a very basic storyline.
The push, pull, slide and turn elements are great for the fine motor skills in the earlier years.
The story is set in a pond, at night by the light of the moon.
age 6 months to 4 years
push, pull, slide & turn board book
very short and simple rhyming text
daytime or bedtime read
part of the Axel Scheffler collection
The Cat in the Hat
Dr Seuss
We’ve been reading Dr Seuss’s books for years and they’re a firm favourite in our household. They’re great if you’re looking for a long and fun read-aloud story.
The Cat in the Hat is probably the most iconic Dr Seuss book. It’s entertaining with playful and rhythmic rhyming.
The two siblings are bored as they’re stuck inside on a wet day. The Cat in the Hat brings fun and chaos into their house along with Thing 1 and Thing 2.
There always seems to be a subtle learning objective within every Dr Seuss book. This one’s theme is probably about finding fun on a wet day, setting boundaries, tidying up the fun and generally being responsible.
age 12 months to 5+ years
picture book
short, clever rhyming text but a long read
daytime read (too long and entertaining for bedtime!)
prequel to The Cat in the Hat Comes Back
The Blustery Day
C.G. Michaels
This book is one of our new favourites! It’s so lovely to find a new children’s picture book written in a non-modern format with traditional ink and watercolour illustrations.
It’s a charming story about the two friends Oat & Barley. One is impulsive and daring and the other a little more sensible and reserved. I can definitely relate to the little mouse, Oat, who blunders into things enthusiastically without thinking about the consequences!
This has a lovely woodland, autumnal, windy day vibe with kite making and flying. It’s great for inspiring adventure, indoor and outdoor fun and generally getting excited about a new project. Written and illustrated beautifully by C. G. Michaels.
age 12 months to 5+ years
picture book
short, charming text
daytime read
one-off story
Teddy & Grandma’s Cottage
Ken & Anne McKie
I had these Teddy books as a kid and I’m not sure whether they were very well known even then… look out for them secondhand book sales! They were written in the early 90s. Still a brilliant and nostalgic treasure, though, with cute characters, quaint watercolour and rhyming text.
Grandma’s cottage has fallen down and been washed away in a storm. Teddy and his friends help to rebuild her cottage with the help of the beavers recovering the blanks of wood from the water. Of course, their reward at the end is more of Grandma’s homemade cake and tea!
Sweet, (indicative of what picture books were generally like in the early 90s) but still enjoyable, warm and simplistic!
age 12 months to 5 years
picture book
medium in length with easy-to-read rhyming text
daytime or bedtime read
part of a Teddy series
Little Goose’s Autumn
Elli Woollard & Briony May Smith
This is one of my favourite children’s picture books along with its companion, Little Bear’s Spring.
It’s the perfect partnership of beautifully worded rhyming text and a lovely storyline with incredibly stunning illustrations. I look forward to reading this every autumn.
The story is a seasonal one about a goose finding her place in the world and learning what she must do when the seasons change. The illustrations are so detailed and warm with an amazing, vibrant colour palette.
Our son is now 4 and I think this is the fourth year running of reading this book.
age 18 months to 5+ years
picture book
fairly long story with beautifully rhyming text
daytime or bedtime read
part of a series of two - its companion being Little Bear’s Spring
A Little Bit Brave
Nicola Kinnear
I think this is the first in the series by this author and the first one we read. As you’ve probably guessed, we usually opt for the older books as I’m an old-fashioned gal! This is a modern one but it has definitely won me over.
The illustrations are digital, which I’m honestly not usually a huge fan of but they are done in such a detailed and clever way that you forget it’s not traditional art. I adore the colour palettes and unique style of the animal characters and natural elements.
The text is great, too. It’s definitely an easier read than a lot of the older books we usually go for but it’s certainly not boring or cliche. The story is about a stay-at-home bunny who loves his indoor hobbies and is too scared to go outside. One day he has to face his fear to rescue his daring friend from being eaten by a wolf. It’s about being brave, friendship and facing your fears so you’re not missing out on exciting adventures!
This one’s in October’s list as it’s got a lovely autumnal feel to it with its warm colour palette and woodland setting.
age 18 months to 5+ years
picture book
fairly short sentences and a fairly long story
daytime read
one-off story but part of a collection by Nicola Kinnear
Fox’s Socks ~ Acorn Woods Series
Julia Donaldson & Axel Scheffler
We still read this one now at 4 years old. It’s meant for younger readers, however, make sure you’ve got glue and sellotape as the flaps tend to get ripped out the earlier you start…
This one is part of a series and all of them are great. I try and include at least one in each month!
Fox has lost his socks and so the book is a mission to find them in the most random of places with the help of the mouse.
This is a very loose connection to autumn and October via knitwear and socks…
I’ve loved this book series and hopefully we can still get a bit more use out of them!
age 12 months to 3+ years
life-the-flap board book
very short and simple rhyming text
daytime read
part of the Acorn Woods book series
The Gruffalo
Julia Donaldson & Axel Scheffler
An obvious and, perhaps over-read, story but a clever one nonetheless!
I don’t think you can go wrong with any Donaldson and Scheffler book. The rhyming text is always great to real aloud and the illustrations are bold and eye-catching. Julia Donaldson has just nailed the formula for writing children’s picture books, in my opinion!
This one has a mischievous feel to it, similar to the old Brer Rabbit tales. It’s about a mouse who doesn’t want to be eaten by various woodland predators so he creates a creature called a gruffalo who he later ends up confronting.
This isn’t our favourite by the author and illustrator but as it’s slightly scary and has a woodland setting I’ve included it in October’s book list!
age 12 months to 5+ years
picture book
fairly short and repetitive rhyming text, medium length story
daytime read
part of the Donaldson & Scheffler collection and followed by The Gruffalo’s Child
Sleep Tight, Little Bear
Martin Waddell & Barbara Firth
If you read this blog a lot you’ll know I recommend this book series whenever I can. They are probably my favourite children’s picture books.
The author’s writing style is simplistic, repetitive but clever and heartwarming at the same time. This marries up perfectly with Barbara Firth’s cosy and incredibly beautiful illustrations. The storylines are all based on the relationship between a toddler and their parent. They’re basic storylines that are all very relatable.
This one is based on toddlers moving into their own bed in their nursery and sleeping on their own. I love how the story ends. I won’t spoil it but I’ll tell you it’s certainly not a sleep training book! It’s absolutely perfect in every way.
I’ve added this to October’s selection due to the blackberry supper and the talk of sleep as we approach late autumn and winter!
age 12 months to 5+ years
picture book
repetitive, warm and fairly short text
daytime or bedtime read
part of a series: Big Bear & Little Bear books
Winnie the Pooh & the Blustery Day
Ladybird Books (Disney adaptation based on A. A. Milne’s Winnie the Pooh)
You know me, I’ll try and include Disney somewhere - especially Winnie the Pooh.
It’s a long read but a lovely adaptation of the Winnie the Pooh film (apart from the fact they’ve missed out the best bit - Tigger’s arrival and the Heffalumps & Woozles scene… why?!)
Pooh and friends face adventures on a windy, blustery day.
Perfect book for October with Piglet sweeping leaves, the blustery day and a search for a new home.
ages 2 to 5+ years
picture book
fairly long text but in keeping with the film
daytime read
Ladybird classic
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For now, you can browse the full blog series for monthly booklists and inspiration for slow, seasonal living with young children or follow me on Instagram for regular art updates.
