Enjoy Autumn Picture Books! A Collection of Ideas to Read with Your 5-Year-Old

10 years as a kindergarten teacher / elementary school teacher / junior and senior high school teacher / childminderkepiko
Graduated from Kunitachi College of Music, Faculty of Music (now: Department of Music Culture and Education, Early Childhood Music Education major). In elementary school, my homeroom teacher was Jun Kusaba, a game researcher. After graduating from university, I worked as a kindergarten teacher for 10 years and as an after-school childcare instructor for 7 years, then took a position as a music teacher at an international school in Singapore. In addition to music education, I engaged in activities that introduced Japanese culture, traditional games, and recreational activities, working with many children. Later, through freelance writing, planning, and editing at Shogakukan, I met many delightful adults and experienced the joy of communicating and sharing. Drawing on the perspective cultivated in the field of education and my experience as an editor, I provide practical information with an emphasis on both input and output, mainly in areas related to music and children. My hobbies include instruments, singing, handicrafts, toys, drawing, traditional games, the outdoors, and books. My special skill is spinning-top tricks.

Autumn picture books to enjoy with five-year-olds are filled with heartwarming charm.

As the leaves change color and the nights under the moon grow longer, it’s the perfect time for read-aloud sessions.

Through picture books, you can share moments that let you feel the changing seasons and the wonders of nature together—creating precious memories with children.

Here, we introduce autumn picture books that you can enjoy with five-year-olds.

Spending time with rich, seasonally themed picture books is also a wonderful opportunity to nurture children’s imagination.

Enjoy autumn to the fullest while answering their curious “Why?” and “How come?” questions!

Enjoy Autumn Picture Books! A Collection of Ideas to Read with 5-Year-Olds (1–10)

The Forest Gloves

http://www.amazon.co.jp

Here’s a picture book that’s perfect for autumn, when leaves turn red and yellow.

It tells the story of a single yellow leaf and some animals.

A beautiful yellow leaf has fallen on a forest path.

Shaped almost like a glove, it draws passing animals to place their hands on it and compare sizes.

You’ll read with excitement, wondering which animal will come next.

Children will surely try placing their own hands on it, too.

Be sure to enjoy the delicate illustrations as well.

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The Mischief Squad’s Acorn Festival

http://www.amazon.co.jp

This is an autumn story about the Mischief Squad, who always stumble into mysterious happenings.

The three members were gathering acorns in the forest when a huge acorn suddenly rolled in from somewhere.

As they chased after it, they heard a voice say, “The Acorn Festival is about to begin.” The Acorn Festival is a celebration where acorn children become adults.

While savoring the autumn feel of the forest scenery, this book lets you fully enjoy an adventure in a world of fantasy.

Why not have your children join the Mischief Squad and take part in the Acorn Festival together?

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Pumpkin Moonshine

http://www.amazon.co.jp

This is a work by Tasha Tudor, drawn with a delicate touch.

The story features a girl named Sylvie Ann.

On Halloween, Ann decides to make a jack-o’-lantern.

She finds a big pumpkin in the field on the hill, harvests it, carries it home, and carves it.

The picture book has a gentle atmosphere throughout, and you’ll feel a sense of warmth after finishing it.

Halloween often has the image of a dazzling celebration, but perhaps it’s lovely to enjoy a quiet story like this once in a while.

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Enjoy Autumn Picture Books! Ideas to Read with 5-Year-Olds (11–20)

to make Aki’s sweater

http://www.amazon.co.jp

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.

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wash the dishes

http://www.amazon.co.jp

During the moon-viewing season, the moon sparkles and looks so beautiful, doesn’t it? In this picture book, the foxes wash the moon to make it shine even more.

The very idea of washing the moon is amusing—how on earth do they do it? You’ll be curious to find out.

I hope you’ll also pay attention to the moon’s beauty once it’s all cleaned.

It’s a highly recommended book that lets you enjoy a uniquely whimsical picture-book story while also sparking interest in the moon-viewing tradition.

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Professor Nekomaru’s Moon Viewing

http://www.amazon.co.jp

This is a story about Nekomaru-sensei, a tabby cat who works at a human kindergarten, and a child named Kou-chan having a mysterious experience.

Nekomaru-sensei was making dumplings for the moon-viewing festival.

When a dumpling was about to fall and he caught it in his mouth, his body floated up, and he and Kou-chan, who was with him, were whisked away to an unknown place.

What will happen to the two of them…? With the whimsical premise of a teacher who’s a cat and the delightful “wouldn’t it be fun if this happened?” daydreams of a child, it’s a thrilling story that feels like imagination come to life.

Be sure to read it on the night of the moon-viewing and enjoy the adventure together with them!

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