BUNT SIND SCHON DIE WÄLDER: 8 Amazing Kid's Books in German on Fall

Fall officially started! The leaves are still pretty green here in New York, but it is a matter of a few weeks and the foliage will be all colorful and I have seen a few kites up in the air already. Here are some great books - some silly, some educational - to read with your kids now.

Anne Möller

ZEHN BLÄTTER FLIEGEN DAVON

Ten leaves are left hanging on a willow, though only loosely. One gust of wind and they will be coming down, too. And indeed, the wind comes and they fly through the air, together with a surprised little beetle. Each one drops somewhere else... An inspiring book on the cycle of life and nature with beautiful illustrations!

3 years and up.

Daniela Kulot

IM HERBSTWALD

Summer is over and fall is setting in. The leaves are coloring in all hues. Still, fox, mouse and raven are melancholic, they know that it will get harder to find food and with the cold their life will be rendered more difficult. Sqirrel, however, is ecstatic with the beauty of it all. Even when big clouds are darkening the sky, squirrel seems unfazed, while everybody else runs to find cover. Lucily the friends can save sqirrel in the end - and the joy of life squirrel feels spreads to all of them. A beautiful tale about enjoying life.

Beatifully illustrated picture book about carpe diem and friendship.

3 years and up.

Oliver Jeffers

STECKT

Little Floyd's bright red kite gets stuck in a tree! He briefly pauses, then decides he can get it down by throwing something else at it - but the shoe gets stuck, too! As does the other, and everything else he tries. A super funny picture book by the award-winning author and illustrator Oliver Jeffers (You can read it as a book on perseverance, too. Or about failing..)

3 years and up.

Sam Usher

STURM

Flying a kite is the topic of this picture book as well: a grand father and his grand son wake up an early stormy morning. The perfect day for flying a kite. It takes them a while to find the kite, but when they do head outside, it rises high high up in the sky... and with the kite, up they go too, together with others! Or maybe not, it is just their fantasy running wild? When the storm comes blowing harder, they are back at home, where it is nice and cozy. And as the grandfather says: the best experiences are the ones shared.

4 years and up

Sebastian Meschenmoser

HERR EICHHORN UND DIE UNVERGESSLICHE NUSS

Herr Eichhorn is a squirrel, slightly forgetful, though not as bad as the hedgehog. One day he finds an amazingly big nut hiding. It is a breathtaking sight, but he is determined to hide it for the winter, at a really perfect spot. He keeps changing his mind what a truly good perfect spot is, when hedgehog shows up, covered in leaves and earth. Who did that to poor hedgehog?

An hilariously funny picture book with beautiful realistic illustrations in pencil and crayons.

3 -4 years and up

Rotraut Susanne Berner

HERBST- WIMMELBUCH

The all time German classic on fall is this Wimmelbuch: it is a book without words, but with lots of stories and details to discover and a perfect way to tell your children all about fall and German fall traditions like Sankt Martin.

1 year and up

Martina Baumbach

HERBST IM HOLUNDERWEG

Ida, Lennart, Lilly, Ella, Malte and Bruno are best friends - and. all live in Holunderweg. Together they experience all the adventures of fall: they find chestnuts, but also a little hedgehog that needs to be saved and get ready for the traditional Lanternenlauf.

This is the first volumne of a popular series all about seasons. If you look for surprising adventure stories with lots of twists, this might not be your pick. But kids do love it, because they can identify with the kids and everyday life is an adventure for them. Also: it is a great way to introduce your American kid to German traditions.

7 years and up

Kirsten Boie

ZURÜCK IN SOMMERBY

Sommerby is were the quirky grandmother, Oma Inge, of Martha, Mikkel und Mat lives, Without TV, internet or cell phone reception. The three siblings are delighted to spend the fall break there, and celebrate the 70th birthday of their grandparent. There don't really care that the weather is grey and rainy. They make apple sauce and crafts with acorns, and go on adventures. But unfortunately there is a mean real estate guy who is using all tricks in the book, including illegal ones, to get to Oma Inge's property. Kirsten Boie captures the mood of fall and writes about first love, friendship, solidarity and being honest.

8 years and up