HIBERNATION & ANIMALS IN FALL & WINTER -- Kindergarten level books

This list features books about animals in Fall and Winter at the kindergarten reading level. 

**all ratings from GoodReads

National Geo Kids, 
SLEEP BEAR!

4.0 avg rating — 15 ratings

Children will follow a bear as it wakes up and explores it's environment, before going back to sleep again in the Fall.

Pictures are charming and show the bear eating berries and bugs.

Reading Information:
Word Count: 98
Page Count: 24
Accelerated Reading level: 0.7 / points: 0.5
AR quiz:  174215

Red Squirrel Hides Some Nuts
by Beverley Randell Harper

A little red Squirrel hides some nuts so he will have something to eat during the winter.  Amazon has copies but this might be best tracked down at your local library.

Word Count: 133
Page Count: 16
Accelerated Reader: 0.8 / points: 0.5
AR quiz:  50804


The Busy Little Squirrel
by Nancy Tafuri

3.85 avg rating — 799 ratings

In this pre-primer, you'll find a story about Squirrel who needs to get ready for winter. Being a busy little fellow he has no time to hop or run with frogs, dogs, and mice. No, he must get ready for when temperatures drop and the snow falls!

Leaves were falling.
The air was getting cold.

It was time for Squirrel
to get ready for winter.

"Squeak, squeak," said Mouse.
"Will you nibble a pumpkin with us?"

But Squirrel couldn't...
He was so busy!

"He was so busy!" is the common refrain, and it's repeated throughout the book until the very end when Squirrel can't participate because he is 'fast asleep!'

Warm, cheerful drawings by one of our favorite author-artists makes it easy for me to recommend this book. [Click on the picture below and most browsers will make it larger.]

Word Count: 128
Page Count: 32
Accelerated Reading level: 0.9 / points: 0.5
AR quiz: 118900
--sample pages available

Animals in Fall
(What Happens in Fall?)
by Mari Schuh

Nature photographs and easy-to-read text show children how animals adapt to the changing weather of fall.

Word Count: 103
Page Count: 24
Accelerated Reader:   0.9 / points: 0.5
AR quiz: 161505

What Happens in Winter?
(Four Super Seasons)
by Alex Appleby

A sort of generic book from Gareth Stevens Publishing. The format consists of a single sentence on a page followed by a photo on the opposite page. One complaint of a reviewer mentioned that there was no continuity from one page to the next.  

Word Count: 46
Page Count: 24
Accelerated Reader:   0.9 / points: 0.5
AR quiz:164160
Lexile:  180L
-- Available in Spanish!

Chipmunks
(My First Animal Library)
by Mari Schuh

4.0 avg rating — 4 ratings

Follows chipmunks as they gather food in preparation for winter.

(sorry, could find no sample page images)

Word Count: 100
Page Count: 24
Accelerated Reader:   0.9 / points: 0.5
AR quiz:  180500

Common Core Suggested


updated January 2017

Pumpkin & Fall books - Kindergarten reading level

This list features the EASIEST books featuring Pumpkins. These little pre-primers can be used as part of Halloween or Fall studies.

**all ratings from GoodReads
***most browsers will enlarge images if you click on them


The Little Runaway
by Margaret Hillert

 3.69 avg rating — 13 ratings 

Not strictly about pumpkins. I'm including this cute little book because it's a cute story that features a big pumpkin on the cover and it's a super-easy pre-primer about a little orange kitten who scampers away from his/her mommy.

Here's some sample text:

Come here, little one.
Come here to me.
No, no.
I want to go away.
Here I go.
One, two, three.

The kitten then has lots of adventures. It plays with a hose and sees a mole. It sees Mallard ducks flying in formation. It plays in fall leaves and ouch! gets bonked on the head by a ripe apple that falls from a tree. The first misadventure comes when orange kitten falls into the pool while admiring a fish. His spirits are bolstered though when he/she watches a squirrel gathering nuts.

Work, work, work.
You can work.
I see you work.

When the squirrel won't stop and play, the kitten has his second misadventure when he finds a scary pumpkin on the front steps.

Oh, oh, oh.
Where is my mother?
Help, help.

It all ends well, of course, with momma and baby reunited.

This is a very good example of where you see Margaret's experience as a first grade teacher shining brightly. This book is not only an excellent beginning reader, but it can also be tied into a study of colors and the seasons.

Reading Information:
Word Count: 196
[45 pre-primer words]
Page Count: 28
Accelerated Reader: 0.5 / points: 0.5
AR quiz: 9382


It's Fall, Dear Dragon
by Margaret Hillert

3.00 avg rating — 5 ratings 

A boy meets his pet dragon after school to rake and jump in leaves, carve a pumpkin, and enjoy a pretty fall day.

I have to go to school
You cannot come with me.
I will come out.

Word Count: 232
Page Count: 32
Accelerated Reading level: 0.7 / points: 0.5
AR quiz: 132594


It's Halloween, Dear Dragon
by Margaret Hillert

3.44 avg rating — 18 ratings

A boy and his pet dragon play in the autumn leaves, make a jack-o-lantern, eat pumpkin pie, dress in costumes and go trick-or-treating. Includes word list.

Look up here.
Do you see what I see?
Something red.
Something yellow

Word Count: 270
Page Count: 32
Accelerated Reading level: 0.8 / points: 0.5
AR quiz: 9375
Lexile: BR

Pumpkin Trouble
by Jan Thomas

3.96 avg rating — 200 ratings

This is a colorful book feature duck and his friends.   The story is goofy and kid-friendly.  Duck is carving a pumpkin when he falls in and gets a bit stuck.  She/he tries to get help but ends up stead giving a little scare to his/her friends. 

Word Count: 103
Page Count:  40
Accelerated Reader:  0.8 / points: 0.5
AR quiz: 158750
Lexile: GN190L
--sample pages and reviews available


Jack-O-Lanterns
by Lola Schaefer

3.00 avg rating — 3 ratings 

Simple text is alternated with colorful photographs present the features of jack-o-lanterns and the different kinds of faces that they can have. First parts of the face are listed, and then emotions are demonstrated, as carved pumpkins are happy, sad, scary, and funny.

sample text from 2 pages
A jack-o-lanterns has two eyes.
A jack-o-lanterns has a nose.

Table of Contents
Eyes
Nose
Mouth
Faces
Glowing

Note to Parents and Teachers
Words to Know
Read More
Internet Sites
Index/Word List

Word Count: 48
Page Count: 24
Accelerated Reading level: 0.9 / points: 0.5
AR quiz: 34545
Lexile: 510L

• Publisher: Capstone Press
• ISBN-10: 0736881069

compiled by Pam
revised September 2013