Fall Holidays Around the World: Children’s Books for Kids

In our homeschool, books aren’t just stories — they’re the foundation of how we build language arts (ELA), curiosity, and character. I plan our reading lists to follow the rhythm of the seasons, so my kids connect lessons with the world around them. Fall is the perfect example: as the leaves change, we explore books that capture pumpkins, turkeys, and falling leaves while also learning about traditions like the Mid-Autumn Festival, Diwali, Día de los Muertos, All Saints’ Day, and All Souls’ Day.

These seasonal books spark meaningful conversations — about gratitude, remembrance, forgiveness, light, and family — while reinforcing vocabulary, comprehension, and storytelling. It’s one of the simplest ways I make ELA lessons feel alive and relevant to our kids’ lives.

If you’d like to add these titles to your own home library or seasonal homeschool plans, I’ve gathered them all in one place on my Amazon Storefront. Think of it as a ready-made fall book basket for cozy storytimes.

🌕 Mid-Autumn / Moon Festival

• Thanking the Moon — by Grace Lin
  A family gathers for lanterns, mooncakes, and wishes under the moon. Ages 3–8.

• Mindy Kim and the Mid-Autumn Festival — by Lyla Lee
  Chapter book about celebrating Korean Chuseok and family memories. Ages 6–9.

• Celebrating the Mid-Autumn Festival — by Sanmu Tang
  Illustrated non-fiction about traditions, lanterns, and moon legends. Ages 5–9.

✡️ Yom Kippur

• The Hardest Word: A Yom Kippur Story — by Jacqueline Jules
  A boy learns the hardest word to say is “sorry.” Ages 5–9.

• Yom Kippur Shortstop — by David A. Adler
  Balancing baseball and tradition in a thoughtful holiday story. Ages 5–9.

• Big Bad Wolf’s Yom Kippur — by David Sherrin
  A funny, approachable way to learn about reflection and forgiveness. Ages 4–8.

🎃 Halloween

• It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown — by Charles M. Schulz
  A Halloween classic with Charlie Brown and friends waiting for the Great Pumpkin. Ages 3–7.

• The Ugly Pumpkin — by Dave Horowitz
  A funny tale of a pumpkin who doesn’t fit in until Thanksgiving. Ages 4–8.

• Peekaboo Pumpkin — by Camilla Reid
  Interactive board book with sliders and surprises for little hands. Ages 1–3.

• Room on the Broom — by Julia Donaldson
  A friendly witch and her cat pick up passengers on their broomstick in this fun, rhyming story about kindness and friendship.

  Ages 3–7.

🕯 All Souls’ Day

• New Friends Now and Forever: A Story about the Holy Souls — by Susan Tassone
  A beautifully illustrated story that introduces children to the meaning of All Souls’ Day, teaching about prayer for the Holy Souls in a hopeful and gentle way. Ages 6–10.

✨ All Saints’ Day

• Picture Book of Saints — by Lawrence G. Lovasik
  Classic Catholic children’s book with short bios and illustrations. Ages 8–11.

• Saints Around the World — by Meg Hunter-Kilmer
  Illustrated collection of stories about saints from different cultures, a wonderful tie-in for All Saints’ Day. Ages 6–12.

💀 Día de los Muertos

• ¡Vamos! Let’s Celebrate Halloween & Día de los Muertos — by Raúl the Third
  Bilingual story blending spooky costumes and vibrant ofrendas. Ages 4–8.

• Día de los Muertos (Celebrate the World)” — by Hannah Eliot, illustrated by Jorge Gutierrez

  A colorful introduction to Día de los Muertos, this vibrant picture book celebrates Mexican traditions of honoring loved ones with food, flowers, music, and joy. Ages 2–6.

• Calavera Abecedario — by Jeanette Winter
  Learn the alphabet through whimsical sugar skull illustrations. Ages 4–8.

• Rosita y Conchita — by Erich Haeger and Eric Gonzalez
  Touching bilingual tale of a girl making an ofrenda for her twin. Ages 4–8.

• Funny Bones: Posada and His Day of the Dead Calaveras — by Duncan Tonatiuh
  Tells the story of artist Posada and his famous skeleton drawings. Ages 6–10.

🪔 Diwali

• It’s Diwali! — by Kabir Sehgal & Surishtha Sehgal
  Count along as families light diyas, eat sweets, and celebrate. Ages 4–8.

• Binny’s Diwali — by Thrity Umrigar
  Binny shares Diwali traditions with her classmates in a school setting. Ages 4–8.

• Spooks & Sparklers: A Halloween & Diwali Adventure — by Neha G. Arya
  Unique crossover of Halloween fun and Diwali sparkle. Ages 4–8.

🦃 Thanksgiving

• Thanksgiving in the Woods — by Phyllis Alsdurf
  Inspired by real family traditions, this lyrical book celebrates gratitude outdoors. Ages 4–8.

• ‘Twas the Night Before Thanksgiving — by Dav Pilkey
  Playful, rhyming story capturing the holiday excitement. Ages 3–7.

• The Berenstain Bears Give Thanks — by Mike Berenstain
  Faith, family, and gratitude in a beloved bear family story. Ages 4–8.

• We Are Grateful: Otsaliheliga — by Traci Sorell
  Cherokee author shares traditions of gratitude through the seasons. Ages 4–10.

🍂 General Autumn & Multicultural Fall

• Fall Frolic in the City — by Cathy Goldberg Fishman
  Board book that highlights a variety of multicultural fall celebrations. Ages 0–3.

• Fletcher and the Falling Leaves — by Julia Rawlinson
  Gentle story about seasonal change and friendship. Ages 3–7.

• Too Many Pumpkins — by Linda White
  A whimsical story of Rebecca Estelle, who dislikes pumpkins but finds herself with a yard full of them, learning gratitude and joy along the way. Ages 3–7.

Why These Books Matter

Books allow children to explore the traditions of their own families while also learning how other cultures celebrate the season. This fall, fill your basket with stories that highlight gratitude, remembrance, light, and love.