Last Updated: September 18, 2021
Pumpkins are such a quintessential fall thing that marks the changing of the season. Today, I’m sharing our favorite books about pumpkins! There are fall, harvest, Thanksgiving and Halloween books that can all be about pumpkins. So I thought it would be fun to round up just pumpkin books for preschoolers, toddlers and younger kids! And especially since so much during fall and Halloween season focuses on scary! These books are all NOT SCARY pumpkin books. Great to read to kick off the autumn season or before visiting a pumpkin patch or doing other pumpkin-related activities or crafts. Pumpkins are fun!
Books About Pumpkins:
Pick a Pumpkin – by Patricia Toht, Illustrated by Jarvis. This is the same series as “Pick a Pine Tree” – which is one of our favorite Christmas books. Our toddler requested this book even in the months after Halloween and long after we’d returned it to the library. Kiddos hath no seasons! This one is probably the “scariest” of these picks. But my easily-scared kiddo loved it. Ha!
Stumpkin – by Lucy Ruth Cummins. This book is a hilarious tale about the “perfect” pumpkin, who doesn’t have a stem handle, but just a stump. As the other pumpkins on display are chosen first, Stumpkin waits. A great seasonal book that covers self-esteem with humor!
Apples & Pumpkins – by Anne Rockwell, Illustrated by Lizzy Rockwell. A lovely story about a little girl welcoming fall and searching for the perfect pumpkin! A simple story to give kids a preview into fall activities. Apple picking, pumpkin patch, and more.
Seed, Sprout, Pumpkin, Pie (Picture the Seasons) – by Jill Esbaum. This book is perfect to teach children where pumpkins come from and how they grow. Especially exciting for younger toddlers when they’re in that visual stage of loving pictures and photography of real life things, vs just illustrations. And great for older kids too to see up close visuals of how a pumpkin grows in a field from seed and then vining etc. Extra fun for kids who don’t have a garden or the opportunity to see pumpkins grow or visit a pumpkin patch.
The Little Kitten – by Nicola Kellen. The Little Kitten is a beautifully illustrated book that follows Ollie and her cat named Pumpkin on an autumn day adventure. This one is technically a Halloween book and briefly mentions a witch, so note that if you’re just looking for pumpkins and autumn and not Halloween or witches.
How Many Seeds in a Pumpkin? – by Margaret McNamara, Illustrated by G Brian Karas. This book in the Mr Tiffin’s classroom series, is great for teaching math ideas. It also has a great story, featuring Charlie, the underdog who learns to estimate how many seeds are in a pumpkin.
Too Many Pumpkins – by Linda White, Illustrated by Megan Lloyd. This autumn classic is a sweet story of a woman who hates pumpkins. Naturally, one day a giant pumpkin splats in her yard and by autumn she has a pumpkin patch. Instead of wasting the crop, she makes food and carves pumpkins and shares them with her neighbors. Teaching kids problem solving and sharing with your community!
The Roll Away Pumpkin – by Junia Wonders, Illustrated by Daniela Volpari. The story of a little girl chasing her giant pumpkin around town. Sweetly illustrated and a fun story for kids. Note: there used to be a reference to a “plump lady”, which the author has since changed to “chef”, so new books don’t have this phrasing anymore! But if you had an older library book it might. But in our house we change words in books as needed. Problem solved and a great book!
The Itsy Bitsy Pumpkin – by Sonali Fry, Illustrated by Sanja Rescek. This book is a short and sweet rhyming take on the Itsy Bitsy spider. A cute book for little ones featuring a familiar itsy bitsy nursery rhyme.
Biscuits Visit the Pumpkin Patch – by Alyssa Satin Capucilli, Illustrated by Pat Schories. This board book is a cute fall book for little ones. It’s definitely geared for babies and toddlers, as the story line is very basic and just features Biscuit touring the pumpkin patch. So don’t pick this one up expecting an exciting story arc!
You’re My Little Pumpkin Pie – by Natalie Marshall. Another book pick for younger ones. This cutout board book is a sweet fall and Halloween book for babies and toddlers. Great for that stage where they want to touch everything and see how pages work, with cutouts throughout the book and a rhyming storyline.
Decorate a Pumpkin With 34 Stickers – by Cathy Beylon. This activity book has reusable stickers to decorate your own pumpkin. It’s a little garish. Just the activity book to occupy busy preschoolers. I’m bookmarking this for a fall or holiday road trip. Pumpkin decorating with no mess! Ha!
Best Pumpkin Books for Toddlers, Preschoolers, and Kids:
So here’s our full list of favorite pumpkin books for preschoolers, toddlers, and young kids.
- Pick a Pumpkin
- Apples & Pumpkins
- Seed, Sprout, Pumpkin, Pie (Picture the Seasons)
- The Little Kitten
- How Many Seeds in a Pumpkin?
- Too Many Pumpkins
- The Roll Away Pumpkin
- The Itsy Bitsy Pumpkin
- Biscuits Visit the Pumpkin Patch
- You’re My Little Pumpkin Pie
- Decorate a Pumpkin Sticker Book
Happy pumpkin season!
What are your favorite pumpkin or fall books for preschoolers?