I start each day with a cup of coffee and a picture book. I recommend my favorites to parents and grandparents who visit the library searching for books to share with their families. I’ve also decided to post some of those favorite books here from time to time and help spread the word that picture books are great entertainment for all ages.

“Every Autumn Comes the Bear” written and illustrated by Jim Arnosky (Copyright 1993, G.P. Putnam’s Sons) is a beautifully illustrated vintage picture book that is a tribute to autumn shown through the routines of a bear as he finds a den for hibernation.

 “Hocus Pocus, It’s Fall!” written by Anne Sibley O’Brien and illustrated by Susan Gal (Copyright 2016, Abrams Appleseed) is a fun rhyming book with gorgeous illustrations of charcoal on paper and digital collage. Each fold-out page turn is a testament to the magical sights, sounds, and smells of the fall season.

“A Fall Ball for All” written by Jamie A. Swenson and illustrated by Chiara Fedele (Copyright 2018, Millbrook Press) is also a rhyming book about the fall season. The beautiful illustrations were made using watercolor, colored pencils, and tempura with digital retouching. This creative story has the autumn wind inviting the forest animals to the Windfall Ball, where they’ll enjoy nature’s feast of the fall harvest.