A selection of recommended picture books for 4-year-olds to enjoy in autumn and feel the wonders of nature
You can feel the arrival of autumn in the air now.
Four-year-olds are gradually becoming able to express their own thoughts, and this is also a time when they are deeply drawn into the world of picture books.
Picture books that feature familiar autumn nature—fallen leaves, nuts, and insects—greatly expand children’s curiosity and imagination.
Here, we introduce picture books that will resonate richly in children’s hearts during the fall.
We hope this guide helps you discover a favorite, and that you enjoy the world of picture books together with your children!
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- Enjoying Autumn with Your 0-Year-Old! A Special Selection of Picture Books Perfect for Read-Aloud Time
- [For 4-Year-Olds] Recommended Spring Picture Books | Engaging with the World and Friends
- Exciting September crafts for 4-year-olds! A special collection of fun ideas with autumn-themed motifs
- Picture Books to Read with 4-Year-Olds in Winter: Heartwarming Recommended Stories
- Craft ideas for 4-year-olds to try in autumn! Enjoy creative activities with seasonal motifs and events.
- [For Age 4] Must-Read in January! Picture Books to Enjoy Winter
- [For 4-Year-Olds] Recommended in November! Autumn-Themed Craft Activities
- [February] Recommended picture books for 4-year-olds: Works that let children feel winter at preschool
- A collection of recommended picture books to read with 4-year-olds that will make the wait for Christmas exciting
Perfect for 4-year-olds to enjoy in autumn! A curated selection of picture books that celebrate nature (11–20)
What are the animals’ autumn delights?
When autumn comes, a cool breeze blows, the trees change color, and delicious harvests abound everywhere.
In the midst of it all, animals vividly savor their “autumn delights.” That world unfolds in this picture book.
A crow circles through the clear sky, a raccoon mother gently strokes her baby, and bears enjoy a feast together—“chomp chomp, munch munch.” Read it to a child, and they’ll feel, “Oh, autumn is fun!” It’s a warm and gentle picture book.
This single volume is filled with the wish to give the gift of “time to feel the seasons together.” Please be sure to place it in a child’s hands.
Moon Viewing with Ten Frogs
For kids who love animals and insects, this picture book themed around moon-viewing—“10 Frogs and the Moon-Viewing”—is irresistible.
The ten frogs living in Gourd Marsh hear about moon-viewing from an elderly frog and decide to send invitations to everyone.
The ones delivering them are the red dragonflies, who are great at flying! On the long-awaited day, the frogs go to gather pampas grass, but on their way back they accidentally step on a snake’s tail.
It’s a delightful book that’s perfect for autumn festivities.
Read along and watch over the frogs to see whether they can enjoy their moon-viewing safely.
Akino’s Fluttering Magic!
Magic tricks are often performed as entertainment at children’s events.
Kids are captivated by the wonders happening right before their eyes.
In this picture book, a magician and an assistant lose their way in a haunted forest.
Unable to find the exit, they wander around and start performing magic to ease their loneliness.
Then, in a curious turn, autumn fruits begin transforming one after another! It’s a page-turner that makes you excited to see what they’ll turn into next.
Be sure to check whether the magicians make it safely out of the forest, too.
to make Aki’s sweater
When autumn arrives, the weather suddenly turns chilly, and many people probably rush to switch out their wardrobes.
The squirrel Suri-chan, who appears in this picture book, also takes out a sweater she had put away for the cold autumn air, only to find it has become quite small.
So Suri-chan heads to Miko the tailor.
Miko reknits the shrunken sweater and transforms it into something truly wonderful.
New things are nice, but having a favorite item made even more special would surely make anyone very happy.
Delicious-looking moon viewing
Children have such rich imaginations, don’t they? Even as adults, many of you probably saw all kinds of shapes in the clouds when you were kids.
In this picture book, the shapes of the moon inspire delicious food ideas.
Oranges, watermelons, donuts, takoyaki—there are so many round and tasty things, aren’t there? While reading this book aloud, be sure to ask the children what they see.
You’ll surely hear a flurry of wonderful answers.
And don’t forget to enjoy the moon’s own natural beauty, too.
Drawing with fallen leaves
We’d like to introduce a picture book that lets you freely enjoy drawing with autumn leaves.
Gathering and arranging leaves, and creating pictures that make use of their colors and shapes are depicted with gentle words and warm illustrations.
As children engage with nature, they expand their imagination and learn the joy of expression and the feel of working with their hands.
It’s perfect for reading together as a family, or for experiencing the world of the book outdoors while playing with fallen leaves—an ideal way to savor the season.
A book that lets both adults and children share the excitement of autumn.
Ages 4 can enjoy autumn! A recommended picture book selection that feels close to nature (21–30)
The moon just has to be perfectly round!
The moon changes its appearance as it waxes and wanes.
In this picture book, a slender crescent moon appears.
Seeing it, an old woman declares, “The moon has to be nice and round!” and starts feeding it all sorts of things: vegetable soup, pizza, pasta, cream puffs…
Because the moon doesn’t quickly become round, she keeps cooking more and more dishes.
Thanks to her efforts, the moon gradually plumps up.
Will it become as perfectly round as the full moon on the night of the harvest moon?