Yes, that is correct, I am sharing my September reading list in October. This is a long overdue but when September arrived, I was hit with my grad school workload, home school workload for the kids, scheduling playdates, maintaining the household, general mom life, and the occasional late night re-runs of the office. Okay, maybe not the occasional. Alas, I have finally found a moment to share our September reading list, one week late but I suppose it is better late than never.
And I promise to post our October reading list well before Christmas!
“Sleep Tight Farm” by Eugenie Doyle, illustrated by Becca Stadtlander. As the seasons change and the harvest ends, there are many things for the family to do around the farm to prepare for the Winter to come. The vibrant and lively illustrations perfectly depict the story, which beautifully details all the preparations a farm undergoes to prepare for the Winter frost to come. Published by Chronicle Books.
“Mommy’s Little Sunflowers” by Angela McAllister and illustrated by Alison Edgson is a sweet story about Scurry, a little mouse, determined to plant a sunflower seed. However, his little brother Scamp eats the only sunflower seed he has and the two set off on an adventure in search of more sunflower seeds. It is a brightly illustrated, warm sibling tale about giving, sharing, patience, and love! Published by Tiger Tale Books.
“Apples A to Z” by Margaret McNamara, illustrated by Jake Parker. This fun, fact-filled alphabet book explores everything there is to know about apples! Published by Scholastic Inc.
“Bow wow peep” by Kathryn Knight and illustrated by Bridget Starr Taylor. The colourful illustrations and playful, lyrical story about different animals getting along despite their differences will delight your little ones. Published by Dalmatian Press.
“Down on the Farm” by Merrily Katherine and illustrated by Will Hillenbrand. This cute story takes the reader through a day on a noisy, busy farm … kid wakes up and encounters roaster calling, and crows cawing, cows mooing, and cats pow-wowing! Published by Scholastic Inc.
“The Kissing Hand” by Audrey Penn, is a heartwarming story about Chester the raccoon who is afraid to go to school and afraid to be apart from his mother. His mother comforts and encourages him, explaining the joys of school, and shares with him the secret of the kissing hand. She opens his hand wide and kisses the center of his palm. Through the kissing hand, Chester’s mom explains, they will never be apart. Illustrated by Ruth E. Harper and Nancy M. Leak. Published by Tanglewood Press.
“Thelma the Unicorn” by Aaron Blabey. Thelma sees herself as an ordinary pony and dreams of becoming a unicorn. When her dream accidently becomes a reality with a little bit of pink paint and glitter, she is whirled into a world of fame, stardom, and loneliness. Away from her best friend Ottis, she quickly realizes that being famous is not all it’s cracked up to be. More importantly, she learns that being true to herself, accepting herself just the way she is, and being with her best friend was far more important and special than fame and fortune. The illustrations are fun and expressive, and the rhyming story is touching and sweet. Published by Scholastic Inc.
“The Anywhere Farm” by Phyllis Root, is a great reminder that you can plant a farm anywhere you wish! “Plant a farm in a crate! Plant a farm in a cup! In a box on a balcony ten stories up!” It is a great tale for children reminding them that all it takes to start something great anywhere is one small seed! Illustrated by G. Brian Karas, published by Candlewick Press.
“Dinosaur Farm” by Frann Preston-Gannon takes us through Jack the farmers’ typical day on his dinosaur farm. He has to collect pterodactyl eggs, let out the triceratops, and bathe the diplodocus. Throughout the day he becomes more and more disheveled and worn out. It is all worth it though, when he collapses into bed at the end of the day and his dinosaur pets snuggle up around him. Kids will love this funny and sweet story about this unusual farm, and the bright and colourful beautiful illustrations. Published by Sterling Publishing.
“Tree” by Britta Teckentrup, a beautiful peek-through book about the changing seasons. The story introduces the reader to a beautiful tree and all of its inhabitants through a series of peek-through holes throughout the book. The illustrations are vibrant and colourful and the poetic storytelling is rhythmic and lovely. Published by Doubleday.
“Little Elliot, Fall Friends” by Mike Curato, Elliot and Mouse celebrate the changing season by leaving the big city behind and venturing to the country. In the countryside, they discover the beautiful Fall sights, sounds, smells, and meet new friends! Published by Scholastic Inc.
“Old Mikamba had a Farm” by Rachel Isadora is a fantastic take on the classic nursery rhyme “Old MacDonald” but this time introduces the reader to a Safari farm of African animals and the sounds they make. On Old Mikamba’s farm we see elephants, giraffes, lions, zebras, rhinos, parrots, and so much more! It includes a glossary at the back that further describes each animal, to learn more about them, making this a nice introduction to Afrian wildlife. The collage-style illustrations are so interesting and lively. Published by Penguin Books Publishing.
“Sheep Dog and Sheep Sheep” by Eric Barclay is an adorable story about Sheep and Sheep Dog. Sheep loves to dance but she would often bump into trees. Sheep also believes that she is an expert at protecting sheep, until one day she bumps into Sheep Dog – not a tree. Upon meeting him, Sheep decides that it is her job to show Sheep Dog what he needs to do to get his job done guarding the sheep. What follows is a series of humorous antics putting Sheep in near death situations, completely unbeknownst to her because Sheep Dog is always there to save the day! Published by Harper Collins.
“On the Farm, at the Market” by G. Brian Karas is a fantastic book that looks at a few different types of farms that are preparing their harvest for farmers’ market day. What is cool about this book, is that it is more like a two stories-in-one picture book. The first part looks at farm life, on a vegetable farm, a cheese farm, and a mushroom farm. Going through the process of harvesting, collecting eggs, making cheese, etc., all the steps it takes to get the food ready for that market. The second part of the book accurately depicts market day – setting up, selling, shoppers browsing and buying, etc. It really reminds me of my own experience at my local farmers’ market! It is a great book about working together and showing community support for local farms. Published by Henry Holt & Company.
“The Case of the Wooden Timekeeper” A Gumboot Kids Nature Mystery, is written by Eric Hogan & Tara Hungerford. I especially love that each book is not only wonderfully written, sparking inquisitive wonder in children, but also includes ‘Field Notes’ or nature facts at the back of the book, AND a Nature craft activity. Published by Firefly Books.
“Animal Encounters” by Agnes Bellegris is a lovely book of animal poetry about the different animals we encounter in Canada. The author is also the artist behind all of the beautifully painted animal portraits throughout the book. My girls loved receiving this book and immediately went through every page on their own, and then we read all of the poems together. Published by Archway Publishing.
“If You Give a Pig a Pancake” by Laura Numeroff, illustrated by Felicia Bond is a humorous and creatively written story about an adorable pig with constant demands that lead from one thing to another. This story is a great example of how our children can frazzle us on a daily basis with their own constant demands and questions. You’ll love the sweet illustrations of this cute pig! Published by Harper Collins.
Bookspirations: Picture book Inspired creative projects 